BEVERLY HILLS, September 24, (THEWILL) – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of N745 million to hire additional forensic field auditors for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio disclosed that the Council approved the hiring of auditors to ensure that whatever comes out of the forensic audit is acceptable not just in Nigeria but to the international community.
According to the Minister, “the memo that was presented by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was a concluding memo on the procurement of Field Forensic Auditors for the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission and today, the Council approved additional forensic field auditors at a total sum of about N745.2 million.”
“This brings the total number of field forensic auditors to 16 in addition to the earlier approved Lead Forensic Auditors, Messrs Olumiluwa Bashir and Co. These people are now going to be in charge of the nine states of the Niger Delta which has been divided into 16 lots. As I stated earlier, lots one is Ernst and Young for the headquarters. They will be undertaking the 19 years of audit and also bring out the organigram for the restructuring of the NDDC for better performance in future”, he added.
The minister further said that the Council equally approved the need to attach investigative security agencies to each of the team to ensure transparency in the exercise.
In a related development, the Federal Government has also approved the purchase of 52 operational vehicles for effective operation of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
A statement by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said: “we considered in the Council the award of contract for the procurement of 52 number operational Black Maria vehicles.”
According To him, the new vehicles will help aid effective operation in the Correctional Service as well as ease the movement of awaiting trial inmates from the Custodial centres.
“This is to complement what we have already acquired between 2016 and 2019 of about 451 Operational Green Maria vehicles. “The objective is to ensure that the delay associated with trial of inmates is reduced if not eliminated”, he added.
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