Senate on Tuesday set up ad hoc committee to probe the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) for spending N1.4 trillion without appropriation.
Senate’s decision was sequel to a motion by Senator Adamu Aliero during consideration of a report by the Committee on Niger Delta on NDDC’s 2021, 2022 and 2023 budgets.
The request for approval came after the interventionist agency had spent the funds for the 2021 and 2022 financial years, totaling N1.4 trillion.
The Senate consequently referred the budgets to its Committee on Niger Delta after scaling second reading.
The committee, chaired by Senator Bulus Amos turned in its report on Tuesday and urged the Senate to approve the budget estimates.
However, Senator Aliero faulted the recommendation of the committee, saying it was a breach of the constitution for NDDC to carry out expenditure of the budget extimates without approval of the National Assembly.
Other senators, who raised concern over the consideration of the budgets, were senators Seriake Dickson and Solomon Adeola.
Adeola said there was an urgent need to carefully look at the 2023 budget estimates of NDDC as clarifications and further information was required on figures presented on the budget.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan, therefore, raised a panel to probe the agency’s financial book.
Lawan said the term of reference of the ad hoc committee was to investigate the financial activities of NDDC on the 2021 and 2022 budget extimates.
The committee, chaired by Senator Yusuf A. Yusuf is to submit its report to the plenary in one week.
Other members of the committee include: Seriake Dickson, Uche Ekwunife, Abdullahi Yahaya, Saidu Alkali, Adetunmbi Olubumi and Sadiq Sulaiman.
