N40bn probe: Acting NDDC MD, Prof Pondei walks out on Reps

Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei

New NDDC boss Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei (left) and members of his team

File: Acting NDDC boss Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei (left) and members of his team

By EricJames Ochigbo

The acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Company (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, and his team on Thursday walked out on legislators investigating the alleged N40 billion irregular expenditure in the commission.

Pondei stormed out of the hearing on Thursday in Abuja, after accusing the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo (APC-Ondo), of corruption.

“We in the NDDC are not comfortable with the Chairman of this committee, presiding over a matter.

“He is an accused party; the NDDC has over time accused Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo of different crimes against the NDDC and he has responded in the press.

“He is an interested party and we do not believe that the NDDC can have justice because he cannot sit on his own case.

“We have no issue of appearing, we appeared before the Senate ad hoc committee”, he said.

He added that as long as Tunji-Ojo remained a member of the House of Reps committee on the matter, he and his team would not make any presentation.

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