Grilled by Reps, NDDC Acting MD, Pondei collapses, escorted out

By OBINNA EZUGWU

The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, relapsed while taking questions from members of the House of Representatives panel investigation alleged corruption in the commission.

Pondei was being grilled by the house members when he suddenly relapsed on Monday  and was escorted out of the venue.

Meanwhile, the House has adjourned proceedings till 1:35 pm.

The Acting MD who could not provide answers to the questions, promising only to revert, is expected to return to the panel when he gets better.

Among other things, the Reps panel sought to know how the NDDC spent N1.5 bn as Covid-19 palliative and whether the MD had powers to make such payments.

The MD said the Commission spent N1.32 bn as opposed to N1.5 bn claimed, but could not answer whether the spending was provided for in the commission’s budget, only promising to provide the budget.

The House also asked Pondei about N641 million paid to Clear Point Communication. He said it was part of the N2.5bn budgeted for forensic audit of the commission and that Clear Point Communication was to hire local people to identify NDDC projects in their localities.

The panel then sought to know if NDDC was now paying people to identify their own projects, which he could not answer.

Details subsequently…