Just for illustration: ICPC officials escort suspect out of the complex

By Philomina Attah

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it recently quizzed top officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over various allegations of corruption.

Mrs Azuka Ogugua, Spokesperson of the Commission, said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

Ogugua said the allegations included the diversion of funds, procurement fraud and misappropriation of the agency’s COVID-19 funds.

According to her, this came 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.

READ ALSO  Wike: N10b stolen from NDDC for Rivers election

“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 the staff of the agency for foreign training 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 backdated contract award letters for projects and awards of contracts that were not captured in the budget of the NDDC,’’ she said.

READ ALSO  List of Buhari's monitoring committee members for NDDC

She added that ICPC had already retrieved relevant documents with which to continue investigations towards the recovery of diverted funds and prosecution of breaches of the law.

NAN