Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, and the Chairman of the board of the agency, Lauretta Onochie, clashed yesterday as they accused each other of being corrupt.
Onochie and Ogbuku tackled each other during an investigative hearing by the Senate Committee on N1.4trn extra-budgetary spending of the 2021 and 2022 budget of the agency without National Assembly approval.
The Managing Director was represented at the session by the Executive Director in charge of Finance and Administration, Charles Airhiavere, while Onochie appeared in person.
Airhiavere had accused Onochie of over stepping her bounds by desperately seeking to be a signatory to NDDC’s accounts.
He alleged that Onochie had even written a letter to the Accountant-General of the Federation seeking to be made a signatory to the agency’s accounts.
Onochie however said the decision for her to be a signatory to the accounts was taken by the board at one of its meetings adding that it was not a personal decision.
She said that the request for change of signatory was rejected because the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed the Managing Director to ensure that her confirmation is sought in every financial transaction.
Onochie said, “The CBN said I should be the confirming authority but they didn’t come back to me. That is why they have been operating the way they like”
Onochie however accused the Managing Director and the entire management of running the commission in breach of financial regulations.
She alleged that the NDDC’s management currently operates a total of 367 accounts against the dictates of the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA) policy of the Federal Government.
According to Onochie, all these accounts are in foreign exchange (FOREX).
Airhiavere denied the existence of 367 accounts in the agency but admitted that it operates only four.
Onochie also informed the Senate that since the board assumed office in January, 2023, it has not enjoyed the cooperation of the management of NDDC.
She disclosed that the Managing Director had been frustrating attempts to hold board meetings where necessary decisions ought to be taken.
This allegation was rejected by the Managing Director who disclosed that the main problem arose from what he called “trust deficit” between the board and the management.
Airhiavere also said that the board never gave sufficient notice of any board meeting as required by law.
Onochie further informed the Senate Committee that part of the abuse of financial regulations displayed by the Ogbuku-led management was the increase of the monthly impress for the Managing Director from N4 billion to N10 billion.
The Senate Committee led by Senator Yusuf Yusuf (APC, Taraba Central) expressed shock at the disclosures made by the board and the management of the NDDC.
He directed Onochie and Ogbuku to appear before it on Monday to substantiate their allegations.
The original reason for the investigation of how unauthorised spendings were made in the commission between 2021 and 2022 despite the absence of NDDC budget took the back stage when the two parties engaged one another in corruption allegations.
