By Saminu Ibrahim
Chairman of the Senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions, Senator Ayo Akinyelure on Thursday summoned the former chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Professor Daniel Pondei to appear before it on 22nd February.
The summon followed alleged misappropriation and diversion of 6.2billion NDDC palliatives money meant for the people of the Niger Delta.
It would be recalled that chairman of the NDDC Covid-19 palliatives distribution committee, Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich in a petition to the committee alluded that the N6.25bn approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for the Niger Delta through the NDDC cannot be accounted for and was allegedly embezzled by the Prof.Daniel Pondei-led IMC.
A copy of the petition sighted by SINL Nigeria Online read in part: ” As chairman of the palliatives distribution committee, I cannot account for the Palliatives as my committee was totally sidelined and the IMC hijacked the process, because of their secret plots just because as a chairman, I demanded for transparency in the processes and carry my committee along as well as the value for money with respect to the palliatives”.
Consequently, the petitioner prayed that the National Assembly should probe and investigate the IMC under Pondei with the view to make them to account for the 6.25bn approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the committee’s sitting in Abuja, Senator Akinyelure frown at what he called the IMC’s disdain for the committee.
“We had in the past invited the chairman of the IMC thrice to appear before us but he failed to come.
“The committee want to hear from him how the 6.25bn money for NDDC Palliatives was spent, we hereby invite him to appear on 22nd February before the committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions.
“The money is for the people of Niger Delta, in fact all the states that make up the Niger Delta region” Akinyelure added.
