Akpabio To Submit NDDC Forensic Audit Report Today

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio is billed to submit the much-awaited forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the Attorney General (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, today (Thursday).

The submission is expected to hold at the AGF’s office in the Central Business District, Abuja by 10 am.

The Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Patricia Deworitshe, confirmed this to THISDAY last night.

It is not clear why the audit report is now being submitted to Malami as against President Muhammadu Buhari earlier scheduled to receive it.

Akpabio had on June 23, 2021 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, assured that the final audit report would be submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari for implementation by July ending.

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The minister had on August 11, 2021 received the report from the field auditors who scrutinised over 12,000 projects handled in nine states of the Niger Delta region by the NDDC between 2001 and 2019.

The audit activities commenced in March 2020.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had in August 2020 approved N722.3 million for eight auditors besides the N318 million earlier approved for some lead auditors who mobilised to the region in March.

President Buhari had in 2019 approved an estimated amount of N2.5 billion for the forensic audit.
He had earlier ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the interventionist agency
The president gave the order in reaction to persistent criticisms of the operations of the organisation from 2001 to 2019.

However, the delay in the conclusion of the audit and inauguration of an already appointed board of the agency has ruffled many feathers in the Niger Delta, including governors and ex-agitators.