NDDC: Buhari will act swiftly on forensic audit report, says Akpabio

The long-awaited forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been submitted by the auditors hired in April 2021 by the Federal Government.

Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godswill Akpabio, who received the report, told reporters in Abuja yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari would speedily act on it.

The Nation gathered that the document which was submitted on Monday contains the 12,128 abandoned projects that could not be traced to any contractor. The projects were listed in the auditors’ interim report.

Buhari had ordered that the audit of the projects the NDDC had carried out since creation after a flurry of complaints about mismanagement of funds by the managers of the intervention agency.

The President had also rebuffed calls for the scrapping of the commission or constitution/inauguration of a substantive board until the result of the audit was submitted and scrutinised.

To buttress the importance of the audit, Buhari opted to fund it directly and approved N2.5 billion for the exercise. He also approved the purchase of 33 Toyota Hilux vans to facilitate the fieldwork.

After months of delay, the forensic audit finally kicked off in April. Six forensic firms were contracted to carry out the exercise with Joshua Basiru as the Lead Forensic Auditor.

Briefing reporters yesterday, Akpabio said the government would study the report to point out salient areas that Buhari would rely upon for further action.

“This assignment was from the Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari, though being supervised by the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry,” Akpabio said.

He thanked the security team that worked with the auditors for its professionalism..

Meanwhile, a former Niger Delta militant, Solomon Adu, has appealed to Buhari to inaugurate the already screened NDDC board.

Adu said, “The forensic audit work has come to an end and we all know that it has been one of the reasons for the delayed constitution of the board. There is no need to delay the inauguration anymore.

“There have been different interest groups that have been calm waiting for our President to do the needful by inaugurating the board. We are still appealing to him to do it fast for the interest of our people.

“Mr. President, let us avoid what we can avoid in the interest of peace.”