The acting Managing Director of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, has finally reacted to his collapse during an investigative hearing at the House of Representatives chamber.
POLITICS NIGERIA had reported in July that Pondei fainted while being questioned by lawmakers over alleged financial mismanagement and massive corruption.
But in an interview with Vanguard on Tuesday, the NDDC boss said the ill-starred incident was a serious one which had never happened to him before. He noted that his collapse was not staged or used to evade questions from lawmakers.
He noted that he has been dealing with baffling health issues, saying that he was surprised that some Nigerians thought he was acting. Pondei said he would not pray for anyone to experience what he went through on that fateful day.
The NDDC boss explained the management of the commission spent N59.1bn on capital, recurrent expenditures, and not N81.5bn as claimed the House Committee on NDDC. He said N81.5bn was the joint expenditure by both management from October 2019 to 31st May 2020.
He said that out of the money, N38.6bn was for capital expenditure, paid to contractors, and other expenditures incurred by previous management.
Pondei said the National Assembly is investigating the NDDC because the management of the commission tried to clean up excruciating debts by past management led by the former MD, Joi Nunieh.
“I had an unexplained, unexpected health challenge. It is ridiculous to think that people believed I was acting. I would not pray for anyone to experience what I went through. I do not run from issues. I have put all that behind me,” he said.
The NDDC acting managing director also described the allegations against the commission as “laughable”.
“From N40 billion missing, the probes now became extra-budgetary spending. After accusing the EIMC of embezzlement of N40 billion, nothing was substantiated. The IMC is then asked to refund monies paid for historical debts owed contractors, service providers and allowances paid to staff,” he said.
“Payment/non-payment of these contracts contributed to the face-off and the lawmakers were denying ever doing contracts associated with the NDDC.”
Pondei admitted that there is lack of checks and balances in the regional commission, adding that “NDDC was a place for political patronage and raising war chests for elections”.
“We are told that the lawmakers actually facilitated the projects to their constituencies, but also insisted on the contracts been awarded to them or their proxies,” he said.
“I am not part of any cartel. Instead, I have tried to eliminate this by reducing interaction between staff and contractors. Gratification had been going on as a routine procedure. Nepotism in processing of files and payments also exist. Before all these distractions, the EIMC was working seriously on this issue of people being asked to pay percentages to staff.
“In between the probes by the NASS, we tried to present the 2019 budget performance and defend the 2020 budget. A minor typographical error was noticed and we asked for 10 minutes to amend the errors, but the presentation was stepped down. The NASS has since gone on recess.”
