A Civil Society Organisation called Social Action has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to release the report of the forensic audit on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Social Action Programmes’ Coordinator, Mr Isaac Botti, gave the charge via a statement made available to Tribune Online, in response to the recent arraignment of one of the NDDC Director before a Federal High Court in Abuja, by Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to the Forensic Audit Report, there are over 12,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta Region despite the N6 trillion that has accrued to the Commission.
While noting that the NDDC’s Director was arraigned in connection with an alleged diversion of N45 million, being part of the funds paid for one NDDC contract awarded to the Radiant Women Association group.
He said: “We are happy that an anti-graft agency like the ICPC is taking a bold step to ending the monstrous corruption in the NDDC.
“We believe that there are more corrupt officials in the NDDC including former directors of the Commission, who have diverted contracts funds meant for developmental projects in the Niger Delta Region.
“We want the ICPC and other anti-graft agencies to go after such ones irrespective of their social or political positions.”
He argued that with the submission of the report to the office of the President, “Nigerians had expected several arrests and prosecution of those indicted in the report.
“We have, however, seen just a few arrests and releases of these individuals.
“Therefore, we call on the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to order a full-blown investigation and prosecution of all involved in the flagrant waste and mismanagement of the N6 trillion accrued to the NDDC.
“We also call on President Buhari to make public the forensic audit report as this will rekindle the hope of Nigerians that he is a transparent leader who would leave no stone unturned in his fight against corruption in public institutions like the NDDC,” Mr Isaac said.
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