The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has issued warrant of arrest on the Interim Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Okon Akwa, for failing to honour the panel’s invitation.
The committee had on several occasions summoned the NDDC boss to offer explanation over the N6.2 billion spent by the commission on COVID-19 palliatives.
“Having invited head of the NDDC four times without honouring the invitations, this committee has no option than invoking relevant section of the Constitution for warrant of arrest on whoever is the boss of the agency now,” Akinyelure said.
“The petition against the agency by an insider on alleged squandering of N6.2billion on COVID-19 palliatives last year is grave and weighty to be ignored.
“To this end, required constitutional procedures and processes will be followed by this committee in ensuring that the Inspector General of Police bring before it the NDDC boss on March 9, 2021 when the next sitting will hold.”
NDDC had under the sacked Daniel Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC), claimed to have spent N6.25billion on COVID-19 palliatives in 2020 across the nine oil producing states.
However, chairman of the agency’s COVID-19 Palliative Distribution Committee, Sobomabo Jackrich, in a petition forwarded to the committee, said not a dime was spent for such purpose by the then IMC of the commission.
