BEVERLY HILLS, July 23, (THEWILL) – The Senate has ordered the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to refund N4.923 billion spent as extra budgetary expenditure.
The Senate made this known as it approved the recommendations of its Ad hoc committee on N40 billion fraud allegations against the NDDC IMC read at plenary by the Chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi.
It said the IMC as well as the staff and contractors that benefitted from the extra budgetary spendings are to refund the total sum to the coffers of the NDDC.
A breakdown of the spendings include N85.7 million for overseas travel to the United Kingdom; N105.5 million on scholarship grants; N164.2 million for union members trip to Italy; N1.96 billion for procurement of Lassa fever kit; N1.12 billion on public communications and N1.49 billion spent on COVID-19 palliatives.
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The upper legislative chamber also mandated its Committee on Ethics and Privileges headed by Senator Patrick Akinyelure to investigate allegations of blackmail by NDDC against members of the National Assembly.
The committee, according to the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has four weeks to report its findings at Senate plenary.
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