Every NDDC Kobo Will Be Recovered, Culprits To Face The Law

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) recently completed forensic audit is being evaluated with the goal of retrieving every kobo that can be recovered, while any found guilty will face the law.

The President said it was regretful that the entire region’s special development budget was spent by a few for more than 20 years, leaving many in poverty.

The president spoke at the virtual commissioning of the NDDC Prototype Hostel at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom.

“The Niger Delta Development Commission needs to demonstrate that it can achieve the objectives it was conceived for and make its impact felt all over the Niger Delta Region. The lives of the people of the Niger Delta could be so much better, if the funding received by this commission since its inception, in billions of naira over the last 20 years, have been judiciously deployed in service of the people.

“The serial abuse, lack of delivery and what had become an entrenched institutional decay, was the reason why I called for the forensic audit.

“Therefore, going forward we shall ensure every recoverable kobo, is recovered for use in service of the people of this region and those found culpable shall face the Law.

“Consequently, I want to use the opportunity of this commissioning to direct all statutory contributors to the NDDC to remit all outstanding funds to the Commission, and to ensure this is done transparently and according to laid down procedure and process,” he said.

“When I directed the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to institute a forensic audit of the Commission, after many representations by major stakeholders in the Niger Delta, I had also directed that all viable projects which had been abandoned, but which would impact positively on the lives and livelihoods of the people, be immediately revived and completed.”