It is time to investigate NDDC over Rivers election spending - Group tells Buhari, ICPC, others

- An anti-corruption group based in Rivers state has called for probe into the activities of the NDDC

- The group accused the commission of using public funds to support a candidate in the Rivers state governorship election

- The group's allegation was contained in a statement signed by its coordinator, Comrade Dagogo Johnson and made available to journalists

A Rivers state based group under the aegis of Niger-Delta Anti-Corruption Advocate has called for a probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in the last three months that Professor Nelson Brambaifa took over as the acting managing director.

The group called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to thoroughly investigate the activities of Professor Brambaifa.

According to the group, the cleansing of the NDDC become necessary because it has evidences that the current leadership has spent close to N80 billion within the last three months on frivolities.

The group's allegation was contained in a statement signed by its coordinator, Comrade Dagogo Johnson, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, April 30.

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According to Dagogo, a large percentage of the said money was spent to prosecute the failed governorship primary election and later to support a governorship candidate in the Rivers state governorship election.

The group also called on the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) to investigate the activities of NDDC under Professor Brambiafa as the acting MD to ascertain the claims.

They further alleged that Professor Brambiafa's immediate family are the major beneficiaries of the NDDC.

Furthermore, the group alleged that it discovered that the current NDDC leadership is in the habit of collecting at least 10% from all the contractors with the commission, a move which it believes would affect quality of work done across the region.

While revealing a plan to submit a well-researched petition to all the anti-corruption agencies, the presidency and the national secretariat of the APC in a few days, the anti-corruption group warned the government and the APC leadership not to consider extending the tenure of Professor Brambiafa as the acting MD of NDDC beyond the three months.

“We gathered reliably that prof Brambiafa has been lobbying the stakeholders and daily visiting the presidency in order to secure a tenure elongation.

“We hereby warn the APC government not to contemplate such move because the current leadership has lost the trust of all the state governments and other stakeholders in the Niger Delta,” the group stated.

The group advised President Muhammadu Buhari to allow a thorough clean-up of the NDDC to serve the purpose of its creation, adding that the region does not lack competent hands.

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Meanwhile, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has called for an independent inquiry into the conduct of 2019 general elections.

The group made the call at a press conference addressed by its convener, Mr. Clement Nwankwo on Sunday, March 10.

The group said the inquiry should address many issues that have bedeviled the conduct of the polls including procurement, logistics management, role of the military and abuse of process by INEC officials among others.

At the time of this report, the NDDC had not officially reacted to the allegations.

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