NDDC Forensic Audit Team Begins Work

As part of efforts to actualize President Muhammadu Buhari’s desires to ensure that monies meant for the development of the Niger Delta are prudently spent and accounted for, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has given additional working tools to the Forensic Audit Team to enable them deliver on their on-going mandate.
Speaking during a press briefing at the NDDC Headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, revealed that the 16 field forensic experts enlisted to audit the activities and operations of the commission have since commenced work with a number of contract files for projects and programmes awarded between 2001 and 2019, handed over to them.
Pondei explained that for the team to succeed, the commission decided to hand over 17 vehicles to enhance the performance of the forensic auditors, including one Hiace Coaster bus; four 18-seater buses and 12 Hilux vans.
He stressed that the NDDC was showing transparency by availing the forensic auditors access to all working tools to deliver on their mandate.
“I want everybody to know that the forensic team process has been on, and is going on very strong. I hope that by the end of the day, the forensic audit will unravel a lot of things that were going on in the commission. It is not a politically-motivated exercise, but just to ascertain the true state of things, and recommend ways forward to make sure that the commission delivers its full mandates,” he added.
In his remarks, the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mr Effiong Akwa, stated that the exercise was not a witch-hunt, but was designed to ensure proper accountability and transparency.
On his part, head of the Lead Consultants, Olumuyiwa Basiru & Co., Mr Joshua Bashiru, stated that the event signifies another important milestone in their quest to unravel what had happened in the commission for the past 20 years, promising to give the management update on what they have done thus far, and where they are headed to.
Bashiru disclosed that the team would interface with the state directors and departmental directors, today, in order to find a common ground going forward, noting that as an interventionist agency, the commission needs to take stock of what it has done in the past and what is outstanding, and promised to put the tools given to them to effective use.
The Tide observed that Hilux vans were allocated to Edo, Ondo, Abia, Bayelsa, Imo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Delta.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana