NDDC owes 8,000 contractors N400 billion – Official

The acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ibim Semenitari, said the biggest challenge she had upon assumption of office “was the fact that we are owing so many people.”

Ms. Semenitari disclosed this on Sunday when she featured on the News Agency of Nigeria Forum in Abuja.

She said the commission owed more than 8,600 contractors between N400 billion and N450 billion when she assumed office, but about 600 of them were paid by her administration.

She said that the paucity of funds coupled with the public perception of the commission became sources of concern for the management of NDDC.

She, however, said that the commission had to deal with both challenges and reinvigorate the workforce to be able to get to its present state.

“That’s a lot of money; so the first challenge was you have so many contracts and you have so much debt – so there was a big hole right there.

“The second was the perception problem. The commission was perceived rightly or wrongly as a place you just come, take your own share and go; it was also perceived to be a corrupt place.

“And we also had to deal with the need to professionalise the workforce basically in terms of how you reposition the people.

“And also reinvigorate the workforce so that people will have a sense of freshness and a sense of new challenges because we can get people back on track.’’

According to Ms. Sementari, better days will come for the commission by the time its funding partners pay up the amount they are owing.

She said that with payment of the outstanding monies, the projects the commission was handling would become visible.

She added that the late passage of the budget of the commission had hampered proper planning and proper management of the commission.

“By law, we are funded with three per cent from oil companies; we are funded from the ecological fund and then we are also funded from the amount of money accruable to the state.

“We had a situation where we were being owed by all of our funding partners.

“The Federal Government, who is our owner, was owing us about N800 billion.

“Whereas the law provides for specific kinds of funding for the commission, unfortunately the commission had not been receiving its own funds as at when due; so this was one of the challenges that I had to deal with.

“And then of course perhaps the last and the critical one is the fact of late budgets. The NDDC budget is always late and that doesn’t help for planning.

“It comes so late in the year, indeed I hear sometimes as late as October, by which time the year is ending.

“And that’s because the NDDC budget by the budget practice doesn’t go along with all the other budgets.

“For that reason the budget process of the NDDC begins after and so terminates ridiculously late in the year, by which time of course by planning and everything make us almost ridiculous and impossible for the management to function within the appropriation act.’’

She, however, called for speedy passage of the budget of the commission to ensure smooth operation within a given financial year.

The NDDC boss also said the commission spent N9.2 billion on execution of projects between January and March, 2016.

 “As at Jan. 1 2016, our balance of account was N9.9 billion. And then within this period under review that is – January to March- for that first quarter, we received N6.8 billion from the Federal Government and N32 billion from oil companies, so that total inflow as at March was about N48. 9billion.“These are the expenses we have made in the course of the period.

“The recurrent payment including salary and allowances and other expenditure were stood at N7 billion and payment for projects stood at N9.2 billion.

“There was no accusation of any capital fixed asset within the period under review.

“So, the total of expenditure within the period under review is N16.3 billion.”

She said the cash balance as at March 25, 2016 was N32. 26 billion.

“This means that when I make payment this week or next week, that has taken to the second quarter.’’

The acting managing director said before the commission paid any contractor, it processed the interim payment certificate.

“The way we pay, we process the interim payment certificate.

“And then the number of interim payment certificates that have processed for payment is 153 but we have worked more (than) these numbers.

“Those that are still in the process, action is being taken, some of them have treated 493 interim payment certificates.’’

Ms. Semenitari said the commission paid 642 out of the 8600 contractors during the period under review.

“Basically, what I am saying is that I have addressed over 600 contractors. In other word, 600 projects have treated during the period under review.

“We have been able to complete about 28 projects in this period.”

(NAN)

NDDC owes 8,000 contractors N400 billion – Official

Rivers APC appeals for release of N800b owed NDDC by FG

Describes Semenitari’s appointment as Buhari’s best gift to the Niger Delta

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has made a passionate appeal to the Muhammadu Buhari Administration to priotise the payment of the N800 billion owed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the preceding administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. The appeal was contained in a statement in which Rivers APC expressed appreciation to President Buhari for the recent appointment of Mrs. Ibim Semenitari as the new NNDC Managing Director in acting capacity, describing it as best Christmas, Eid-el-Maulud and New Year gift to the Niger Delta region.

“We are very convinced that Semenitari, an award-winning journalist, media manager and seasoned human manager, will surely live the ideals and vision of President Buhari in the region. She has within few weeks at the helm of affairs as the NDDC boss demonstrated understanding of her task and the relevance of the commission to the region,” Rivers APC said in the statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, and issued Tuesday in Port Harcourt.

The statement commended Mrs. Semenitari for fashioning out new strategies on how to develop the Niger Delta region and expressed optimism that her tenure would mark the beginning of the greatness of the region. It, however, expressed sadness that the Jonathan administration has made things difficult for the new NDDC Management by callously accumulating N400 billion debts to about 8,000 contractors, mostly Niger Delta sons and daughters. “The PDP administration ensured the total neglect and underdevelopment of the region by undermining Section 14, 2A and C of the NDDC Act, which has to do with the funding of the Commission and was not complied with throughout the ill-fated administration of Dr Jonathan. To us, this is unacceptable, wicked and unfortunate,” Rivers APC said.

“We plead with the new administration of President Buhari to assist the region by authorising the immediate release of the N800B owed NDDC by the Federal Government to enable the Commission meet up with her statutory obligation to the region. In making this demand we are aware of the poor state of our common patrimony but seeing the strategic inputs of this region to both the economic and political life of our nation, the need for the release of this fund cannot be over-emmphasised. We will like to suggest that it will be very helpful to work out a programme for the release of money so far withheld. These releases can be tied to specific projects on roads, rail, power and even oil refining,” the statement added.

Rivers APC also solicited the support of all Niger Deltans for the new NDDC Management even as it urged Mrs. Semenitari not to relent until the Commission achieves her essence for the region by ensuring the completion of the numerous projects started by her predecessors for the emancipation and development of the Niger Delta. “We at the same time counsel the new NDDC leadership to initiate a stakeholders meeting of prominent actors in the region with the hope of harnessing a common front for a greater future for the region,” the statement said.

Rivers APC appeals for release of N800b owed NDDC by FG

Dissolution: NDDC board drags Buhari to court

LAGOS—Members of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC board, have asked the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, to declare that President Muhammadu Buhari has no powers to sack them as their appointments are governed by statutes and for a fixed period, as same period has not expired.

Buhari

It will be recalled that there were recent circulars from the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, dated July 16, 2015, Ref. No. SGF.19/S.81/XIX/964 and July 23, 2015, Ref. No. SGF.55/S.2 that all boards stand dissolved. The Sen Bassey Ewa-Henshaw led board, through their counsel, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegborowa, is contending that the circular were wrongly applied to NDDC.

Defendants in the suit are the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senate and House of Representatives. Their counsel pointed out that by virtue of section 6 (6) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, once parties have submitted their dispute before a competent court, none of them is allowed to resort to self-help or to take any step that may jeopardize the due hearing of the matter on its merit.

The claimants argued that by virtue of sections 2, 3 and 5 of the NDDA Establishment Act, they were entitled to four years unbroken tenure from December 16, 2013 to December 15, 2017 and they cannot be deprived of the said appointments, or removed from office, dissolved or their appointments terminated save and in accordance with the extant provisions of the said Act.

According to them; “By virtue of the NDDC Establishment Act, the Governing Board of the commission cannot be dissolved, either through the letters dated July 16, 2015, Ref. No. SGF.19/S.81/XIX/964 and July 23, 2015, Ref. No. SGF.55/S.2, respectively, or in any other manner that constitutes a violation of sections 2,3,5 and other extant provisions of the said NDDC Act.”

They are praying the court to; “Declare that the letters respectively, are ultra vires, ineffective and ineffectual to ground the dissolution of the 4th Governing Board of the NDDC and the same are invalid, null and void and of no effect whatsoever, in so far as they relate to the dissolution of the said Governing Board.

“An order forthwith re-instating the claimants as members of the 4th Governing Board of the NDDC in compliance with their respective letters of appointment and sections 2, 3, 5 and other extant provisions of the NDDC Establishment Act and to direct the second defendant to pay all allowances, benefits and perquisites to which the claimants are otherwise entitled.”

 

Dissolution: NDDC board drags Buhari to court

Corruption: NDDC spends N1.3b on Charismas parties

IN pursuit of his anti-graft crusade, President Muhammadu Buhari may have to beam his searchlight on the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

If the findings and documents obtained by Saturday Vanguard are anything to go by, the NDDC is panning out as a cesspool of corruption.

The documents indicate that the agency, which is being supervised by the Presidency through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has brazenly ignored the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, PPA, in the award of contracts for projects and services, thereby allowing its cronies to smile home with huge amounts of public funds.

Over-shooting contract limit

The 2007 PPA  sets limits on contracts that key officials of the commission can award; what the board can approve; what should be sent to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, and what the Federal Executive Council should handle, in the spirit of transparency and accountability.

Under the PPA, the Managing Director of the NDDC, can award contracts that are not above N200 million while the board can approve jobs that are not above N1 billion. Specifically, any job above N1 billion must be subjected to a competitive bidding process and awarded by the FEC after being processed by the BPP, another agency under the Presidency.

Contract-splitting

However, findings show that the NDDC management has chosen to use contract-splitting as a weapon to award huge contracts beyond its limit without passing through the BPP, thereby making it possible for ‘insiders and their associates,’ particularly influential political elements, to make away with billions of Naira from the commission.

Ignored Jonathan’s directive

The commission under the current board, appeared to have ignored former President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive  not to award new contracts but to strive to complete abandoned ones so as to clear the backlog of funds being owed local contractors.

Contact bazaar

Contrary to the Presidential directive, the new board embarked on contract bazaar within the first two weeks of its inauguration actively acquiring even second-hand exotic vehicles at the cost of new ones.

Documents at the disposal of Saturday Vanguard show that within its first two weeks the managing director single-handedly issued a local purchasing order, LPO, valued at N888,175,500 million to a Port Harcourt-based car dealer to supply 40 assorted vehicles.

Of the vehicles ordered, four were armoured Sport Utility Lexus and Land-cruiser vehicles valued at N213.8 million. It is not clear when the vehicles were supplied and who is using them.

Shortly after the acquisition of the expensive vehicles, the commission ordered the procurement of security vehicles for the Nigeria Police at the cost of N12.5 billion to enable the police provide adequate security for the nine Niger Delta states of Abia, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Delta, Edo and Ondo.

However, to prevent the huge contract from getting to the BPP and the FEC for scrutiny and approval, the commission carefully split the supply job into 12 slots and awarded it at the cost of N985 million to each of the contractors.

Not done, the NDDC shortly after awarded another contract worth N2.7b to 30 limited liability companies suspected to be owned by close associates of key officials for what it called “Intelligence-gathering and management.” Each of the 30 firms got N99.7 million from the NDDC for the job which should have been handled by the security agencies.

The contract bazaar was quickly followed by another award of N1.6 billion job carefully split among 85 companies for the ‘procurement, transportation and delivery’ of waste disposal trucks to the commission.

Each of the ‘lucky’ contractors got between  N61 million to N835 million depending on the strength of their connections with the top hierarchy of the agency and influential politicians managing the commission.

Internal disagreement

The contract bazaar has even led to some disagreement between the board and some accounting/procurement officials.

In one very despicable case, the commission ignored the professional audit query/advice not to award a ‘Quick-impact’ job valued at N715 million to one person to act as both contractor and consultant.

Brewing trouble

But trouble is currently brewing in the commission following the resolve of some aggrieved management staff and top officials to expose the rot in the establishment, leading to the release of financial malfeasance that has been going on in the place since the last board was inaugurated in November, 2013.

One of the documents indicate that the sum of N1.3 billion was approved and released for NDDC Christian Fellowship and NDDC Children and Disable families end-of-the-year parties.

While the Christian Fellowship reportedly received N500 million, the NDDC children and disable families got N800 million.

The commission is also said to have inexplicably moved the sum of N100 billion from its Access Bank account on Agip Road branch to an undisclosed location, in the heat of the last election, in which Buhari won thereby raising eyebrow among staff and stakeholders.

Petitions

Several petitions have been fired to the Presidency to move against the board and urgently launch a full scale probe into the operations and finances of the NDDC, whose contractual obligations now stand at a frightening N800 billion as of the end of July.

The debt is said to have risen exponentially following the award of frivolous and politically-motivated contracts to individuals and groups by the sacked board in the run-up to the last election.

NIDESTAF petition

One of the petitions now before the Presidency and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was written by Niger Delta Stakeholders Forum, NIDESTAF.

In the petition dated June 15, 2015 and signed by the President, Benson Georgewill and National Secretary, Timi Oghalle, the stakeholders pleaded with Buhari to urgently raise a  probe panel to  ascertain the true position of the finances of the NDDC.

The group also asked the President to take steps to retrieve the funds of the commission from those found to have illegally taken them.

Director to brief Buhari

The happenings in the commission are said to have infuriated the supervisory department in the OSFG. It was learned that a director in the Presidency has decided to brief PMB, next week, on the massive fraud in the NDCC so as to clear his name and office.

Presidency, NDDC officials speak

But when contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he was not aware of what the President intends to do with the NDCC.

Adesina said the President has not also mandated him to make any categorical statement on the agency.

The Head of Public Affairs of the NDDC, Mr. Ibitoye Abosede, declined to comment on the situation, saying he has no information regarding the issues.

 

Corruption: NDDC spends N1.3b on Charismas parties

NDDC over-politicised, lacks clear ideas – Oshiomhole

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has decried what he described as the lack of “clarity of ideas” by the Niger Delta Development Commission in the discharge of its duties.

Oshiomhole also lamented that the commission had been over-politicised in the formation of board members, a challenge which, he said, had affected its operation‎ in bringing rapid development to the region.

The governor, who spoke during a visit to the Chairman of the NDDC, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, other members of the board, including the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of commission, Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia, noted that there was a need for the Federal Government to ensure that the fund made available to it was judiciously utilised.

He said, “I also know that the board has been afflicted by critical Nigerian disease namely clarity of ideas; the need to take extra-ordinary measures. ‎One major weakness I have observed in the running of the commission is that it has been over-politicised.

“It was not meant to be a political vehicle. Nigeria has opted for a multiple political democracy and our people from time to time could replace a government and a political party; no party will be too good to govern forever.‎”

On the need to provide major infrastructure in the South-South geo-political zone, Oshiomhole said the condition of the zone would “be effectively serviced with an efficient and effective rail system.”

He, however, assured that the Buhari administration would do its best to ensure that the commission lived up to expectations of the people of the zone.

He also urged the state commissioners on the board to ensure that their contributions in the commission reflected the desires of the people of their respective states.

Earlier, Senator Ewa-Henshaw called for the intervention of the governor to aid in the allocation of funds due to the board, as, according to him, the NDDC had not been funded according to law, since 2000, with over N800 billion unremitted allocation due to it.

He noted that the “vision of the Board is one that can provide a platform and the avenue for integrating and developing the Niger Delta sub-region, through strategic intervention and key infrastructure development in road, rail and education.‎”

“We can create business investment and employment opportunities for our people. We are not unaware of the negative perception of our people. But as a board, we have come determined to change that,” he added.

NDDC over-politicised, lacks clear ideas – Oshiomhole

2015: NDDC chief moves to buy victory for Jonathan and Wike

0

•How he bribed Rivers REC

The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted the public on efforts being made by President Goodluck Jonathan to use a top official of the Niger Delta Development Coommission (NDDC) and the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to rig the forthcoming general elections in the State.

The party in a statement issued Wednesday in Port Harcourt alleged that NDDC Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Dr. Henry Ogiri, has been directed by President Jonathan to work closely with Rivers REC, Mrs. Gesila Khan, to ensure that Jonathan wins on March 28 while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Nyesome Wike, wins on April 11.

“Acting according to the script, Dr Ogiri has purchased a brand new Prada Jeep for Mrs. Gesila Khan and the Jeep is currently parked at the village of Mrs. Khan in Ogbia, Bayelsa State. In addition, Dr Ogiri has set aside a whopping sum of $100 million to be deposited into the account of Mrs. Khan before the week runs off,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya said.

According to Ikanya in the statement, “To perfect the plans of winning Rivers State at all costs, Mrs. Khan, who is from President Jonathan’s village and his very close relation, was deliberately posted to Rivers recently to ensure that PDP wins the State despite having been overwhelmingly rejected by our people. For INEC to post President Jonathan’s kinswoman to supervise the elections in Rivers State, which he has personally confessed neglecting deliberately in his six years in office, simply betrays the Presidency’s desperation to rig the elections as PDP can never win any free and fair polls in Rivers State.”

Ikanya said that the strategy of compromising INEC to pave the way for the use of the allegedly missing 14,000 PVCs and PDP’s cloned cards was coming after PDP failed to wear down Rivers APC through the killing and detaining of several of its members.

“We will like the security organs to investigate this woman and retrieve this car and expose Dr Ogiri for what he is. This is a man who has failed to pay NDDC staff for months and has also failed to pay contractors for services rendered to the commission, while funds are reserved for use in rigging the 2015 elections for PDP,” Ikanya said.

He also appealed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, “who means well for this country with all his innovative ideas designed to stop rigging in our electoral system, to closely monitor the activities of the Rivers REC before she rubbishes all that the electoral umpire has perfected to conduct a free and fair election in the country.”

Rivers APC urged President Jonathan and Chief Wike to play the game according to the rules and stop overheating the polity by adopting untoward ploys through their desperation to “capture” Rivers at all cost. “PDP has pocketed the Police in the State who are ready to do her bidding by arresting the APC leaders indiscriminately. To attempt to buy over the INEC simply demonstrates that Rivers State will be in total mess if Chief Wike succeeds in his bid to capture Rivers instead of allowing the people of Rivers State to elect their Governor and leaders in the March 28th and April 11 gubernatorial election,” APC said.

Viewed 1 times
2015: NDDC chief moves to buy victory for Jonathan and Wike

Patience Jonathan denies looting NDDC

0

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, on Monday denied media report that she was paid N3bn by the Niger Delta Development Commission to facilitate the agency’s 2015 budget.

Mrs. Patience Jonathan
| credits: kenetomagazine.blogspot.com

The report had claimed that apart from the sum, Mrs. Jonathan collaborated with a former Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, in a number of schemes that enabled them to loot the resources of the NDDC.

But the President’s wife, in a statement by her media assistant, Ayo Adewuyi, described the report as a hoax.

Adewuyi’s statement read, “Nigerians are very conversant with the workings of the National Assembly regarding passage of budgets.

“Parliamentary process requires that the Appropriation Bill goes through First Reading, Second Reading and Third Reading and subsequent harmonisation by the two chambers.

“One then wonders at which level of this process the First Lady influenced the passage of the NDDC budget that warranted her being paid N3bn for the alleged ‘consultancy.’

“It will be impossible for one single person to influence its passage or is the author trying to indict our lawmakers?

“The report is, therefore, to say the least, dubious, diversionary, unfair, unkind, and therefore totally unacceptable. Patience Jonathan did no such thing.”

Viewed 1 times
Patience Jonathan denies looting NDDC

Protesting Edo youths disrupted activities at Benin Airport

By Ehi Ekhator

Youth in thousands from oil producing communities in Edo State disrupted activities at the Benin Airport for more than three hours yesterday, protesting the appointment of Edo State Commissioner into the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, by President Goodluck Jonathan, which they said has been delayed.

The youth gave the President one week to appoint a commissioner to represent the state on the board of the commission or they shut down all oil wells in the state.

It was gathered that the angry youth had last month, issued a 21 day ultimatum to the President to appoint an NDDC Commissioner in Edo state or be ready to face the wrath of people from the oil producing communities.

The protesters yesterday created tension on the Airport Road by blocking the exit gates, sending passenger backs, thereby disrupted the activities at the Benin Airport.

The Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, after intervening and appealing to the youth to allow people move into the airport, led to the calm and disperse of the protesters at about 11 am.

One of the protesters, Mr. Iyamu Culture who talked with newsmen revealed that they were protesting because the ultimatum given to the President to appoint an NDDC commissioner for the state has expired.

He said: “We are protesting because the situation is affecting youth development in Edo State. As we speak, the NDDC has resolved to empower youths in all the nine Niger Delta states. With the non-appointment of Edo State NDDC Commissioner, Edo youths might not benefit from that. Projects have also been put on hold in the state due to the non-appointment of a commissioner. We are urging Mr President to act by appointing a substantive commissioner from any quarters as long as the person is from an oil producing community.”

 

Protesting Edo youths disrupted activities at Benin Airport

Edo Communities Protest Non-representation In Planned NDDC Appointment

Four communities in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State are protesting their non  representation in the planned appointment of commissioners to the NDDC Board.

Members of the communities took to the streets and blocked the entrance to the various oil companies to protest what they called forty two years of neglect by both the Federal, state and Local Government authorities despite the huge revenue from oil in their community.

They promised more radical actions if their demands are not met.

These protesters are from Oben, Iguelaba, Ikobi and Obezobe-nuku communities in Orhionmwon LGA of Edo State.

They decided to také the bull by the horn as their cry to the State governor and the Senator representing their constituency revealed that they already have nominees of their own, which they do not agree with.

They pledged to continue their agitations until their demands are met. (0)

Edo Communities Protest Non-representation In Planned NDDC Appointment