ICPC queries top NDDC officials over N5.4bn paid for COVID—19 PPE never supplied 

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has quizzed top management officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission over allegations of various acts of corruption such as  diversion of funds, procurement fraud and misappropriation of the agency’s Covid-19 funds. The Spokesperson for the ICPC, Mrs.Azuka C. Ogugua, said that the officials were questioned by the commission headquarters in Abuja following sustained complaints against them.

Ogugua said: “Some directors of NDDC were interrogated at the Commission’s headquarters after months of intelligence gathering, following the receipt of petitions from Nigerians on the alleged illegalities and contracts fraud by some officials of the agency. “Top officials of the agency are being investigated for their complicity in an alleged diversion of N5.474 billion meant for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers handling the Covid-19 pandemic in the nine states of NDDC. The Commission is also investigating the payments of millions of naira to staff of the agency for foreign trainings during the Covid-19 full lockdown which were never attended, as well as the non-payment of entitlements to students on foreign scholarships.

“Other allegations being investigated by ICPC include the selling of back-dated contract award letters for projects and awards of contracts that were not captured in the budget of the NDDC. Ogugua confirmed that the ICPC had already retrieved relevant documents with which to continue investigations towards the recovery of diverted funds and prosecution of breaches of the law. The commission was however silent on the identities of those it quizzed and when next they are to appear before its interrogators.