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NDDC Confirms Owing Phantom Contractors N3trn
The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed commitment to facilitating an efficient forensic audit of the commission, lamenting that the NDDC was currently indebted to some phantom contractors to the tune of over N3trillion.
The committee accused some of the contractors of sponsoring attacks against the audit as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that one of the vilest attacks was coming from a serving senator (names withheld) who was awarded over 300 multimillion naira contracts by the NDDC, out of which 120 of them have been fully paid for even as the said lawmaker has never mobilized to any of the sites.
The Executive Director, Projects, at the NDDC, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, stated these at a media interface, yesterday, in Abuja.
Ojougboh said: “You will recall that some time ago, the governors of the Niger Delta states visited Mr President after Mr President had sent a list to the Senate for confirmation.
“The leaders of the Niger Delta and these governors complained to Mr President that the NDDC had fallen short of what it was intended to be and to do. Therefore, they asked the president to look again into the affairs of the NDDC.
“In fact, one of the governors, Chief Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, said the NDDC has become a conduit for fraud and a blueprint for cheating in the Niger Delta. Based on the receipt and the complaints from the leaders of the Niger Delta, Mr President there and then instructed that an audit committee, a forensic audit committee, should be set up to look into the management of the NDDC.
“And so, the issues at hand were one, which management will oversee the forensic audit? The woman who was the acting MD then had been in NDDC since the days of OMPADEC, and it was thought that the bureaucracy is part of the problem in the NDDC.
“Therefore, they will not allow them to oversee and to supervise the forensic audit. The other body that will have supervised it is the incoming management but again, it was thought that allowing this board to supervise the forensic audit will also get them encumbered because they will now also be interested in the matters that they are involved in.
“So, the system came up with the idea that an independent body must be put together to oversee the forensic audit for a period of three to six months.
“Thereafter, at the end of the forensic audit, the body that has just been screened will now take over from the Interim Management Committee. Everybody accepted except for some rogue leaders.
“This is why I have reason to commend the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President. These are very good men, but somebody who is particularly interested in a major contract of the NDDC, who is a member of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he alone has 300 jobs in the NDDC. Of the 300 contracts, 120 has been fully paid, and he has not mobilized to site for these 120.
“The remaining is what he is now using to mobilise thugs in the Niger Delta, to instigate people to start to prevent the audit. Anybody who wants this forensic audit to be stopped is not a proper human being, and is not doing so in the interest of the people of Nigeria,” Ojougboh added.
“What the people want is this forensic audit, and they are asking how would this forensic audit be conducted properly, so that the nation will get the best result? Therefore, the system said it must look for people who do not have pecuniary interests in the NDDC. I, Cairo, I have never entered the NDDC building before. I do not have one contract there.
“The MD has no interest whatsoever in the NDDC. The ED, Finance, also does not have any interest. Therefore, when given the opportunity that we just have been given, our job is to make sure that we avail the auditors all the necessary documents and information, all the necessary help they need, because we are not protecting any interest but to help the auditors to be able to do their job as it is required.
“Therefore, for this individual who is now busy sponsoring thugs everywhere in Bayelsa and Rivers to come and destroy this and he is using the money of the people. You did not indicate your interest to the Senate, and then, you are the one screening the committee that the President has set up. Ideally, you should indicate to the Senate that you are an interested party, and then, you recuse yourself from that process.
“Therefore, it is obvious that the reason he is behaving the way he is behaving is that he wants the system, the looting in the NDDC to continue, and this is what the Interim Management Committee will not support.
“It is as simple as that, and therefore, I appeal to Nigerians to support the position of Mr President, to support the IMC and to support the people of the Niger Delta, so that at the end of the forensic audit, the NDDC Interim Payment Certificates (IPC) that are pending are worth over N3trillion and that is what the NDDC is owing these phantom contractors and it is these phantom contractors that are the people preaching and making noise to stop the probe. All they want is the stealing to continue.
“All they want is to bring puppets to manage the forensic audit because they know that the members of the IMC will not compromise. If you look at the records at the NDDC, you will cry. Some genuine people that have done jobs for the board have not been paid for over 15 years and their families are suffering. Many of those who were paid are these phantom contractors.”
Ojougboh also added that about 10 reputable firms would be engaged to conduct the forensic audit, saying the Interim Management Committee has no intention of dabbling into areas outside its remit as its mandate is different from that of the incoming board.
“The assignments given to the incoming board and the IMC are completely different. Ours is to supervise and aid the forensic team to do their job. And the composition of the forensic team is that they are divided into 10 audit firms.
“Out of the nine states that are in the NDDC community, one audit firm will handle a state and then one will handle the headquarters to make sure that we do not waste time because this audit must be done swiftly and competently,” he said.
The Federal Government has honoured 12 teachers from across the country with national awards, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the education sector through improved welfare, incentives, and professional development for teachers.
The awards were presented yesterday at the Nigeria Teachers’ Summit 2026, held in Abuja, where the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, stated that the government would sustain reforms aimed at empowering teachers and restoring dignity to the profession.
Alausa explained that the selection process was transparent and merit-based, with three teachers nominated from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory at both the basic and senior secondary school levels.
From the pool of nominees, 12 teachers; six from basic education and six from senior secondary education, emerged as national award recipients.
Each of the 12 awardees received a cheque of N25m.
The Overall Best Teacher of the Year, Solanke Taiwo from the South-West category, received an additional N25m, bringing his total prize to N50m.
In addition to the cash prize, Taiwo is to receive a brand new car from the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, as well as a fully furnished two-bedroom flat from the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Also, the Governor of Kebbi State, Nasir Idris, pledged to give each of the award winners an additional N5 million.
The minister described the awardees as exemplifying professionalism, integrity, innovation and dedication to learners, noting that they represent the best of the teaching profession in the country.
“This is more than a reward. It is a national signal that teaching is a noble, respected, and valued profession in Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking at the summit themed ‘Empowering Teachers, Strengthening the System: A National Agenda for Education Transformation and Sustainability,’ the minister said the recognition of the teachers reflected the FG’s broader education reform agenda under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Teachers are the foundation of education, and education is the foundation of national development. No nation can rise above the quality of its teachers.
“No reform, no matter how well designed, can succeed unless teachers are empowered, motivated, supported, and respected,” Alausa said.
He pledged that the government would continue to invest in teachers through structured training, improved career pathways and fair rewards, noting that education remained central to national development.
Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, he said, “sustainable development, economic growth, innovation, and social cohesion depend on a strong and responsive education system and that system depends on teachers.”
As part of this commitment, the minister announced the launch of EduRevamp, a nationally coordinated Continuous Professional Development programme designed to modernise teacher training and improve classroom outcomes.
While the programme is open to teachers in both public and private schools, Alausa said performance-based incentives would be reserved for public school teachers who complete certified training.
“Professional growth must never be restricted. Every teacher deserves access to quality training, modern tools, and updated skills,” he said, adding that incentives would be tied to measurable performance.
He also highlighted complementary initiatives, including the Ignite digital platform to reduce teacher workload, the Diaspora Bridge programme to strengthen STEMM education, and the provision of 60,000 tablets for teachers with zero-data access to approved training platforms.
The minister further announced reforms to the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria’s digital platform, the expansion of Communities of Practice, and progress on the Accelerated Teacher Training Programme aimed at fast-tracking professionalisation for in-service teachers.
To provide long-term stability, he said the government had introduced a National Teacher Policy to guide teacher development, welfare and professional standards nationwide.
Addressing the award recipients and other educators at the summit, Alausa described the government’s message as “professional growth, dignity in service, and renewed hope,” urging stakeholders to focus on tangible outcomes in classrooms across the country.
In her welcoming remarks, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, underscored the central role of teachers in Nigeria’s education reform agenda.
Ahmad said the gathering was both timely and strategic, noting that the quality of any education system is inseparable from the quality, motivation and empowerment of its teachers.
She explained that the theme aligns directly with Nigeria’s current education priorities.
According to her, investing in teachers is the bedrock of sustainable reform and national development.
“Empowering teachers is not an isolated intervention; it is the foundation upon which sustainable education reform is built.
“When teachers are supported, trained, motivated, and valued, the entire system is strengthened, learning outcomes improved, equity expands, and national development is accelerated,” she said.
Describing the summit as a strategic national platform, Ahmad said it was designed to unite key stakeholders to address challenges in the education sector and advance practical reforms.
She noted that the forum brings together teachers, policymakers, education leaders, regulators, unions, development partners and private sector actors to strengthen teaching and learning outcomes nationwide.
In his goodwill message, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Audi Amba, described the summit as a historic milestone in the recognition of teachers’ roles in national development.
Nigeria’s education sector has continued to grapple with longstanding challenges, particularly around teacher welfare, access to regular professional development, classroom capacity and infrastructure.
These issues have raised concerns among stakeholders about the quality of teaching and learning in many public schools. At the same time, industrial actions by education unions in recent years have further highlighted the pressures facing educators nationwide.
The Rivers State Government has declared that it draws its confidence from the assurance that God is more than sufficient to guide its leaders, strengthen its institutions, and sustain its communities in peace and progress.
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?Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, made this declaration during the 2026 Holy Ghost Rally organised by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, on Sunday.
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?Speaking through his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, the governor stated that “with the Almighty God on our side, our challenges are surmountable and our future remains hopeful,” noting that the theme of this year’s rally, “The All-Sufficient God,” is both timely and reassuring.
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This was contained in a statement from the office of the Deputy Governor, signed by the Head of Press, ?Owupele Benebo.
?According to Fubara, the theme serves as a powerful reminder that in a world filled with uncertainty, God remains our unfailing source, sufficient in wisdom, strength, provision, and grace.
He stressed that when human ability reaches its limit, God’s sufficiency prevails.
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?The governor commended the Redeemed Christian Church of God for its consistent spiritual impact and unwavering prayers for Rivers State and the nation, expressing appreciation for the Church’s contributions to promoting moral values, unity, and faith in God.
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?In his sermon, drawn from Genesis 17:1, the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, described the Almighty God, whose name is above every other name, as all-sufficient and capable of meeting every human need.
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?He noted that the God who created all things also has the power to repair and restore them.
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?Adeboye explained that while human effort, including medical intervention, may reach its limits, there comes a point where only God steps in to turn situations around, bringing hope where none seemed possible.
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?In his address, the Pastor in charge of the Rivers Family of the RCCG, Pastor Adesoji Oni, stated that the Port Harcourt Holy Ghost Rally, which began in 2015 and has now become an annual event, has been a tremendous blessing to the people of the State.
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Adesoji noted that the rally has drawn thousands of souls to God while impacting lives spiritually and physically.
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?He further disclosed that the Church has gone beyond preaching the gospel to actively engage in impactful initiatives through its Christian Social Responsibility programmes.
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?These include skills acquisition centres, maternity centres across the State, a rehabilitation centre for persons battling substance abuse, and an Innovative Mind Hub.
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