NDDC paid ‘scholarship grants’ to MD, directors – Senate
The report by
lawmakers joins the other revelations that emanated from the National
Assembly’s investigation into spending by the NDDC, which has generated mixed
reactions among Nigerians.
The Senate had on
May 5, set up a seven-member ad-hoc committee to probe the “financial
recklessness” of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC.
The committee was
specifically asked to probe the IMC for allegedly squandering N40 billion in
three months.
In the same vein,
the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta commenced an
investigative hearing on the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion between
January and July by the commission.
Investigative
hearings conducted by the Senate and House committees in July, witnessed
accusations and counter-accusations between some lawmakers and members of the
NDDC, among other discoveries.
Besides how
lawmakers allegedly ‘hijacked‘ NDDC projects and how the commission spent N1.3
billion for staff as ‘COVID-19 relief funds’, the latest major revelation is
how the NDDC paid scholarship grants to the Managing Director, Daniel Pondei,
and other top officials of the commission.
This was contained
in the report of the Senate ad-hoc committee obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.
Top among the
beneficiaries are Mr Pondei, the acting deputy director, projects, Cairo
Ojougboh, and another director, Luke Ibanga.
The report
The Senate had on
July 23 considered the report of the panel that exposed the ‘reckless’ and
‘budgetless’ spending by the IMC.
According to the
document, the NDDC’s account showed that a number of staff were awarded varying
sums of money as “foreign postgraduate scholarship second trip 2020” abroad.
And within the period under review (October 2019 and May 2020), the
organisation spent N347 million on “Education Grants and Scholarship”.
Thirty-two
beneficiaries were listed in the report of which Messrs Pondei and Ojougboh
were paid N5.6 million each for “foreign postgraduate scholarship second trip
2020”. Mr Ibanga was paid twice – N5.19 million and N3.7 million for the same
purpose.
The report also
listed a Seledi Wakama who was paid N3.5 million twice for the same purpose. It
is unclear if the aforementioned is a staff of the commission.
The document also
mentions a “Marg Consultant” that was paid N3.5 million twice, for the same purpose.
And another “Marg Educational International Limited” paid the sum of N106.2
million for “2019 NDDC Foreign postgraduate scheme and data infrastructure
scheme and admin cost.” The committee wondered if the N106 million paid to the
latter was for services rendered to the NDDC.
“…However the
character of the transaction suggests that Marg international is a ‘middleman’
or an agent for foreign postgraduate admission. The justification of this
expenditure is questionable especially when prospective students can directly
approach any institution of their choice; and particularly so when current
scholarship holders are yet to be paid their allowances,” part of the report
read.
Although the date
for the approval of these payments were not stated, the purpose of payment,
however, suggests 2020.
Mr Pondei, during
the hearing, had complained that the NDDC is currently owing students studying
abroad from 2016 to date and the commission is “clearing the backlog”.
The report further
questioned why Mr Pondei and other top officials were part of the
beneficiaries.
“Looking through the
account shown above, it was unclear if these education grants were actually
being paid to staff who are stranded abroad as portrayed by the MD/CEO. The
names of beneficiaries on the account featured the interim MD/CEO –
Kemebradikumo Pondei, the ED, Project Cairo Ojuogboh and other notable
Directors such as Luke Ibanga. Infact Luke Ibanga got the payment twice.
“From the public
hearing; the interim MD/CEO stated that he is currently not studying being a
professor already, therefore seeing his name on the list as a beneficiary of a
scholarship grant is totally unexpected.”
This comes at a time
when Nigerian students under the NDDC scholarship are reportedly stranded
abroad because of the alleged lack of funding from the commission.
The students, in
May, wrote to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, complaining that life for them
abroad has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic which has prevented them
from even engaging in menial jobs for survival.
President Muhammadu
Buhari has, however, directed the NDDC to pay the fees and stipends of scholars
of the commission who are facing hardships abroad.
This was disclosed
in a statement by the Director of Corporate Affairs at the NDDC, Charles Odili,
Channels Television reported.
He explained that
the delay in remittance of the fees of the scholars was caused by the sudden death
of the then acting Executive Director of Finance and Administration (EDFA),
Ibanga Etang, in May. He said the students’ fees and stipends would be paid by
the end of the week.
Since the
revelations emerged individuals and civic groups have been calling for the
prosecution of guilty NDDC officials as well as sanction of lawmakers who are
complicit in the NDDC scandal.
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