Senate ad hoc committee that probed alleged financial malfeasance perpetrated by the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission says some officials of the commission were paid N570million to embark on training programmes during the total lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
It also revealed that the IMC paid N171million in cash to 300 drivers to attend a training course during the same period.
Senate ad hoc committee disclosed this in its report which covered period between Ocotber 1999 and May 2020 during which it said the IMC perpetrated the N570million alleged financial recklessness.
According to a copy of the panel’s report, N143million was paid to individual members of staff on April 1, 2020 to attend a budget participatory conference.
But the report noted “this period happens to be during the COVID-19 lockdown. It is obvious that the conference was not attended as the country was on absolute lockdown.”
The panel, therefore, recommended that the entire sum be refunded by the concerned NDDC officials.
“This payment was made to five members of staff averaging almost N28m per person,” it stated.
The report added that N171m was paid in cash to 300 drivers on February 3, 2020 to attend a driver training course during the nationwide lockdown.
The panel noted that the culture of cash payments to individual staff seems to be a standard practice at the NDDC, adding, “This custom is not only unethical, it lacks transparency and accountability. NDDC must do away with this practice as a way of improving its duty of stewardship.”
It further revealed that the IMC paid N150million on April 3, 2020 to some NDDC union executives for an International Labour Organisation conference in Turin, Italy, a period which also fell within the nationwide lockdown.
The report added, “Incidentally, this period also happens to be during the COVID-19 lockdown. It is obvious that the beneficiaries of these payments could not travel out of the country as a result of the COVID-19 travel restriction.
“Hence, this sum must be refunded by the union members concerned.”
The report also revealed the names of “delegates” who attended the graduation ceremony of NDDC scholars in the United Kingdom in June 2020.
It also stated that the total cost of the trip was N85.6m, paid to 14 staff members to travel to the United Kingdom.
The report stated, “The composition of the travellers includes the MD/CEO, Prof (Daniel) Pondei; the Executive Director, Projects, Dr Cairo Ojougboh; and another Director, Mr Luke lbanga.
“These payments demonstrate a form of internal control failure in the NDDC, especially with the management’s choice to subject such transactions as cash payments to individual staff members.”