By Adedapo Adesanya
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that law enforcement agencies have recovered over N3.7 billion as well as various assets worth billions of Naira from contractors and former directors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
President Muhammadu Buhari made this known at the inauguration of a NDDC Advisory Committee, which include the nine Governors of the Niger Delta region and the Ministers of Niger Delta Affairs and Environment at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.
‘‘To date, the EFCC and other agencies of government have recovered over N3.7 billion in cash as well as various assets worth billions of Naira from some contractors and former Directors of the Commission.
“Furthermore, I am told that government agencies have placed liens on over N6 billion of assets which are being investigated,” he said.
Promising a different approach moving forward, he charged the newly inaugurated committee to bring the desired changes to the Niger Delta region.
He expressed his dissatisfaction at the inability of past instituted programmes like the New Vision for the Niger Delta (NEVIND) to achieve the desired goal due to mismanagement.
“As a result, the people of the Niger Delta were left with abandoned infrastructural projects and substandard social programmes which were designed to improve their living conditions.
“It is to reverse this trend that I approved, in February 2020, the constitution of a 10-man Presidential Monitoring Committee (PMC) as provided for in Section 21 of the NDDC Establishment Act,” he said.
According to Mr Buhari, the PMC, which will be chaired by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and its members drawn from various MDAs, will focus on monitoring the operations and activities of the commission and will be reporting to him.
He further explained that the committee is charged with the responsibility of advising the board and monitoring its activities.
“This is to enable us develop insights into the affairs of the Commission which will properly guide the Board when reconstituted once the Forensic Audit exercise on the Commission is concluded.
“You may recall that the Federal Executive Council, on Feb. 5, 2020 approved the appointment of the Lead Forensic Auditors.
“I am told they are concluding their pre-engagement activities and should be ready to commence work soon,” he said.
