News
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 Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBE) has trained 1,000 newly recruited teachers with a view to raising standards in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
The two-day orientation and capacity building programme held in Port Harcourt introduced the teachers to civil service rules, classroom management practices, and professional conduct expected of educators in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, told the newly recruited teachers that teaching demands more than academic qualifications, and called for discipline, diligence, and a strong commitment to service.
He described teaching as a noble profession that is central to the development of the state.
The recruitment, he said, reflects the government’s investment in children and long-term development.
“Education is the foundation of societal progress, and basic education is where that foundation is laid,” Nwagor stated.
He urged the teachers to shape the values and character of pupils during their most formative years.
He pledged continued support from the Ministry of Education through training, resources, and an environment that allows teachers to perform effectively.
Nwagor directed RSUBEB to reject transfer requests from rural to urban schools, saying the newly employed teachers have an obligation to serve where they are posted and help strengthen education in those communities.
In his opening remarks, the RSUBEB Chairman, Hon. Sam Oge, explained that the recruitment process began in 2023 under the previous board, adding that after assuming office, he consulted widely and secured Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s approval to complete the exercise.
Oge said the selection was competitive, with 1,000 candidates chosen from more than 5,000 applicants, and urged the teachers to treat the opportunity seriously and avoid lobbying for reposting.
He directed the teachers to resume at their assigned schools immediately, saying request for reposting will not be entertained.
The former RSUBEB Chairman, Ven. Dr. Fyneface Akah, who delivered the keynote address, described the orientation as the teachers’ formal entry into the civil service.
He urged them to be creative, purposeful, and open to learning on the job.
Akah stressed that teachers have a role in restoring values lost to moral decline, and urged them to model national values and see their work as a calling with lasting impact on the society.
He thanked the State Government for approving the recruitment, noting that the exercise will improve access to quality basic education across the State.
Akujobi Amadi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that no fewer than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps will be deployed for the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, headquarters of the scheme, in Abuja.
Amupitan, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, described the meeting with the NYSC senior management team as more than a formal courtesy visit, saying it was also a mission of gratitude.
According to him, the NYSC remains a critical pillar in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He noted that corps members had participated in virtually every election cycle since 1999, stressing that, “INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I am honoured to discuss our collaborative efforts toward ensuring seamless and credible elections in Nigeria.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable.
“They form the backbone of our election processes, especially as ad hoc staff, whose dedication, discipline and patriotism are critical to the success of our elections,” he added.
Amupitan said institutional data from the 2023 general election showed the importance of the partnership between INEC and the NYSC.
He explained that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff for the 2023 elections, with over 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel drawn from corps members and student volunteers.
Speaking on preparations for the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff would be engaged, with corps members making up the majority.
“For the 2027 general election, we will require 707,384 ad hoc staff for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
“The same number will be needed for the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027, making a total of 1,414,768,” he said.
He added that INEC would also require 52,446 corps members for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan said corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he said.
He further praised the corps members for their role in off-cycle elections, particularly the Anambra governorship election and the FCT Area Council polls.
According to him, their digital proficiency contributed significantly to the seamless operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our BVAS, proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he added.
Amupitan acknowledged the sacrifices made by corps members during elections and assured that INEC would continue to work with the NYSC and security agencies to strengthen safety measures and welfare packages for them.
As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to ensuring adequate mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members for this important national assignment,” he said.
He also noted that the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, scheduled for June 20 and August 15, respectively, alongside several by-elections, would serve as tests for innovations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding, Brig. Gen. Nafiu thanked INEC for its continued collaboration with the scheme.
He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was signed in 2011 and had been periodically renewed.
Nafiu described corps members as credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind Gen Z corps members known for their digital savviness, which will benefit INEC,” he said.
He assured the commission of the NYSC’s continued support in both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle elections.
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