Civil Society Groups (CSOs) have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to set an Independent panel of inquiry to probe the alleged financial impropriety and other misconducts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The CSOs addressed as Civil society joint action against corruption with 10 different activist groups noted that the crisis in the NDDC has exposed lot of allegations and counter-allegation connected to contract scam, corruption and delay in harmonising the already approved budget by the both chambers of the national assembly.
In a joint press statement on Monday, the CSOs said, “Having watched the activities surrounding the probe by both the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Niger Delta majorly on allegations of financial impropriety and constant exchange of accusations and counter-accusations between the chairmen of the House Committees on NDDC Honourable Olubumi Ojo and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) on NDDC, … we hereby demand that it discontinue and excuse itself from the probe.
“Also considering the claim that the probe panel is set up to witch-hunt suspected members of the public and that in no time has such activities or exercise yielded any good result except wastage of public funds and resources, it will be honourable for the House Committee on Niger Delta to stop this unpatriotic, insincere and self serving exercise.
“In the interest of the nation and to disabuse the fear, perceptions, doubt of the public on the on-going probe, we therefore call for immediate stoppage of the said probe by National Assembly and call for an independent panel of inquiry to probe the activities of the immediate IMC of NDDC.
“This call become imperative so as to avoid another witch-hunt and matter where by it will end in controversy just like many probes initiated by National Assembly. It will save the country another round of controversy and get to the root of the investigations needed in NDDC for the sake of the Niger Delta people that has been deprived of needed amenities and resources.
“We want all issues surrounding the mismanaged of funds, non-payment of scholarships, contract scams and budget inflation to be treated holistically. We believe this can be done only by an Independent Presidential Probe Panel, where-in all will face the committee and report back to the President, and for relevant anti-corruption agencies to act on.”
There have been controversies surrounding how over N81 billion was spent in the last four years at NDDC.
