Senate: We won’t back down on NDDC probe – The Liberator
Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, has said that the National Assembly will under no circumstance back down on its probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Ajibola made the official position of the Upper Chamber known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday and dared the Commission to provide evidence of alleged corruption claims against lawmakers of the Senate and House of Representatives to anti-graft agencies for investigation.
According to the lawmaker, no amount of blackmail against lawmakers or the institution of the National Assembly would stop ongoing investigations into the financial transactions of the Commission.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Senate has been drawn to a statement credited to Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director of Projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
“Ojuogboh in his statement alleged that Senators and Members of House of Representative are behind the fraud in NDDC.
“Ordinarily, while we are still at a loss as to why Ojougboh has repeatedly made such allegations at a time when the NDDC is under scrutiny of forensic audit and investigation by the National Assembly, the Senate is even more surprised considering the fact that the allegations are baseless and unsubstantiated.
“Apparently, Cairo Ojougboh is ignorant of the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to carry out oversight function over all agencies expending government resources with a view to exposing and preventing corruption, abuse and inefficiency.
“It stands logic on the head to claim that by invoking its constitutional power of oversight to investigate the activities of the IMC, the National Assembly intends to scuttle forensic audit. The outlandish claim is illogical,” Ajibola said.
Speaking on the Constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to oversight the Commission, the lawmaker said same was aimed at facilitating rapid and sustainable development in the Niger Delta, as well as ensure the proper application of funds for the region.
“While the National Assembly is committed to reposition the NDDC to address the challenges of the Niger Delta through facilitating the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta however, it is naturally concerned about the allegations of poor management or outright fraud in the management of the funds and operations of the commission.
“The setting up of the investigation is predicated on the above concern and not to victimise or witch hunt anyone. It was also in this regards that the National Assembly has accorded the executives the necessary cooperation that will facilitate the completion of the forensic audit.”
