Budget: Senate Grills Niger Delta Minister Over Alleged Unauthorized Spending

Budget: Senate Grills Niger Delta Minister Over Alleged Unauthorized Spending

The Senate Ad-hoc Committee has begun the holistic investigation into alleged unauthorized spending by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Chairman of the Committee, Senator Yusuf Yusuf, expressed dissatisfaction with the affairs of the Commission during the interactive, investigative hearing on the NDDC 2021 and 2022 budget estimates. National Assembly Correspondent, Chuka Onwughai, files in the report: The Minister and his team appeared before the Ad-hoc Committee at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja to defend the 2021 and 2022 Budgets before the Senator Yusuf Yusuf led Ad-hoc Committee. While making his clarification on alleged reckless spending, Okon-Umana explained that the reason for the delays in submitting its budgets and audited accounts to the National Assembly was due to some factors. Scrutinizing the Ministry, some of the Committee members said it was a breach of the Constitution for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to carry out expenditure of the budget estimates without the approval of the National Assembly. Responding to the Committee on the financial records on the expenditures of the Commission, the Minister said that it was not in his capacity to know if the NDDC was exceeding its budget, but it is the capacity of the Account Officer of the Commission to know so. In his concluding remarks, the Committee Chairman said while the Committee would cooperate with the Commission to actualize its mandates, the lawmakers will not hesitate to stand against abnormalities. The Senate had earlier stood down consideration of the NDDC 2023 budget and requested further information and clarifications on the financial activities of the NDDC for the 2021 and 2022 budget

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