The Interim
Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC, led by the Managing Director, Daniel
Pondei, had appeared before the National Assembly joint committee on Niger
Delta Affairs to defend the agency’s 2019 budget performance and the proposals
for 2020.
The Senate had in
March, approved N346.3 billion as the 2019 budget for the commission, against the
N409 billion proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari. The 2019 budget expired in
May.
The panel led by
Peter Nwaoboshi ( PDP Delta North), queried the IMC over an alleged N143
billion ‘missing’ from the 2019 budget of the commission.
Mr Pondei had in his
presentation before the committee, stated that the commission received N305.5
billion as revenue in 2019 and spent N122 billion. He said the commission is
now left with a balance of N183.2 billion.
“In compliance with
the provision of the 2019 Appropriation Act, we implemented the 2019 capital
budget till May 31.
“On the expenditure
side, 2019 budget implementation was hindered by the delay in its approval and
release coupled with the COVID- 19 global pandemic. Only recurrent expenditure
which runs from January 1st – December 31st 2019 was implemented substantially.
”
The chairman of the
house committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, however, faulted the 2019 budget
report of the commission. He disclosed that the report submitted to the joint
committee only revealed a balance of N40 billion.
He also queried the
MD on discrepancies observed in the 2019 budget report presentation.
“What you have here
(expenditure) is N122 billion. From what you said, you received N305,570,683,529.87.
If you received N305 billion and you spent N122 billion, what you are telling
us now is that the available fund, available to the commission as we speak now
will be N183,315,748,214.58.
“Would that be
available to be brought forward? What I’m saying is just a simple basic
accounting question. You said you generated N305 billion. It is just a yes or
no question.”
This time, the NDDC
boss said “the expenditure is actually N264 billion.”
Back and forth
After a few verbal
exchanges between the panel and Mr Pondei in a futile attempt to reconcile the
figures, Mr Pondei requested for the withdrawal of 2019 budget details in order
to address the issue of discrepancies of N143 billion raised by the lawmaker
with his team.
The request angered
other members of the committee who were later pacified by the committee
chairman.
Mr Nwaboshi, in
yielding to the request of NDDC boss, adjourned the budget presentation till
next week Tuesday.
The ‘missing’ N143
billion is one of the many discrepancies found in the agency’s records.
The parliament is
currently investigating the alleged misappropriation of N40 billion and other
financial recklessness in the commission. A lot of controversies have emerged
in several meetings held between the two groups.
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