Blackmail against National Assembly Wont deter NDDC probe – Senate

Tayo Afolabi

No amount of blackmail against lawmakers or the institution of the National Assembly would stop ongoing investigations into the financial transactions of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The National Assembly through the spokesman of the Senate, Senator Akinola Bashiru, made the official position of the upper chamber known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.

Bashiru said in the statement: “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 the House of Representatives 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 the 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 overall 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.

“While the National Assembly is committed to repositioning 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.

He added that the probe of the Commission by the National Assembly was not maliciously intended or aimed at victimizing anyone at the NDDC.

“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 regard that the National Assembly has accorded the executives the necessary cooperation that will facilitate the completion of the forensic audit.”

He stressed that National Assembly in line with carrying out its oversight functions, “will appraise the budget and its operations of the Commission like other agencies to entrench a culture of transparency and accountability.”