The federal government on Thursday promised to apply the law to remedy the deficiencies outlined in the forensic audit report of activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) submitted to it by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio in Abuja.
The report is coming 16 months after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit into activities of the commission.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) received the report on behalf of the federal government.
Speaking during the brief ceremony, Malami said the remedies would include, but not limited to initiation of criminal investigations, prosecution, recovery of funds from those found to have misappropriated funds of the commission.
He noted that considerable resources have been channeled by the federal government to the development of the Niger Delta from 2001 to 2019, adding that the audit was important.
According to the minister, individuals found not to have properly utilized the commission’s funds for the public purposes for which they were meant, would be prosecuted.
He said: “In all these instances of actions, legal due processes will strictly be complied with.
“The President has directed that the forensic audit report be forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Justice for a legal review and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government will be engaged in doing justice to the findings accordingly.”
The minister recalled that the president ordered for a holistic forensic audit of the activities of the commission from inception to August 2019 in response to the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta region to reposition it for effective service delivery.
The minister stated that the president was concerned with the colossal loss occasioned by uncompleted and unverified development projects in the Niger Delta region, in spite of the huge resources made available to the commission, hence the audit.
“We have on record over 13,777 projects, the execution of which is substantially compromised.
“The Federal Government is also concerned with the multitudes of Niger Delta Development Commission’s bank accounts amounting to 362 and lack of proper reconciliation of accounts,” the minister noted.
He said it was therefore imperative for the president to hearken to the call for the audit by the people of the Niger Delta region which arose from the huge gaps between resources invested in the region vis a vis the huge gap in infrastructural, human and economic development.
“It is on record that between 2001 and 2019, the Federal Government has approved N3, 375, 735,776,794.93 Three Trillion, Three Hundred and Seventy Five Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety Four Naira, Ninety Three Kobo as budgetary allocation and N2,420,948,894,191.00 Two Trillion, Four Hundred and Twenty Billion, Nine Hundred and Forty Million, and, Eight Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, One Hundred and Ninety One Naira as Income from Statutory and Non Statutory Sources, which brings the total figure to the sum of approximately Six Trillion Naira given to the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“Consequently, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the engagement of a Lead Forensic Auditor, as well as 16 reputable audit firms to conduct the audit exercise.
“The President is delighted that the auditors have now completed this exercise and the Report is today being presented.
“Furthermore, the president is not oblivious of the interest generated by Stakeholders towards the forensic audit exercise and the agitation for the constitution of the Board of the NDDC. However, this Administration is determined to address challenges militating against the delivery of the mandate of the NDDC to the people of the Niger Delta Region.
“It is in the broader context of the foregoing developments that the President recently signed into Law the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which has been a contentious issue over the years for successive Governments, to bring about the prudence and accountability in the Petroleum Sector and to give a sense of participation and ownership to the Host communities.
“The report on the forensic audit of the NNDC and your recommendations will therefore be critically analysed for necessary action and implementation. We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta Region to improve their standard of living through the provision of adequate infrastructural and socio-economic development.
“The welfare and socio- economic inclusion of the Niger Delta Region is paramount to the development and security of the Region and by extension the Country. Funds spent on development activities should as a consequence promote political and socio-economic stability in the Region. Citizens affected by these development projects should also exhibit the ability to contribute to the continuous progress of their immediate and wider communities by engaging in constructive activities that will sustain and supports these development projects.”
Malami said the federal government would without hesitation implement all aspects of the audit exercise that would promote probity and greater prosperity for the Niger Delta region and Nigeria as whole.
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