The Nigerian Senate has revealed how the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) management shared approximately N5 billion for “medicals”. A report released by the Ad-hoc committee, chaired by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC – Ekiti North, which probed the multi-billion Naira scandal in NDDC, disclosed that the disbursements, paid into individual accounts, were made in March during the nationwide lockdown.
“Payment to all the 1,401 staff who received the allowance was made on 16 March, 2020. The three members of the Interim Management Committee received the highest amount of N14.2m each. Two other people, namely Evan Caroline Nagbo and Ms Cecilia Akintomide took N12,387,500 each, while Peter Uwa Edieya was paid N10,340,000,” it read.
Acting MD, Kemebradikumo Pondei, and two executive directors got N14.2m each. Other members of staff got about N8m each, while 140 got an average of N7m each. Furthermore, 75 members of staff received N6m each, while 153 were paid N5.5m. Another 4 members of staff got between N4.1m and N4.8m, while 7 others received about N3m each. Additionally, 804 members of staff got between N2.4m and N2.9m each. Fifteen of them got N7m, while one collected N5.2m. The remaining collected between N375,000 and N550,000 each. However, the management paid N114.9m as supplementary medical allowance to 26 staff members.
Pondei had stated that those who got “emergency contracts” were scared of the ongoing forensic audit. He made the claim in reaction to Senate’s disclosure that IMC members get 20 – 30 percent of contract sums before contractors are paid. Other members of the Senate committee are: Senators Abdulfatai Buhari (APC – Oyo North); Chukwuka Utazi (PDP – Enugu North); Ibrahim Hadeija (APC – Jigawa North); Biobarakuma Wangaha (APC – Bayelsa East); Jika Dauda Haliru (APC – Bauchi Central); and Mohammed Tanko Almakura (APC – Nasarawa South).
