NDDC can’t account for N15.3b of 115 projects, says group

An independent audit report of the Civil Society Coalition on Audit in Nigeria (CSCAN) has revealed that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) cannot account for N15.3 billion from the 115 verified projects in the region.

It revealed that it monitored 115 priority projects out of the 176 contracts highlighted in its review and analysis of compliance Audit Reports of the Auditor General of the federation on NDDC and the fiscal performance of the 115 projects shows that the contracts awarded amounted to N98. 5billion, payment to contractor totaled N61. 8 billion, but that NDDC contractors were yet to account for the N15. 3 billion.

The coalition includes Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), Budgit Foundation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Dataphyte, Step Up Nigeria, Accountability Lab, Nigeria Center for Health Equity and Justice (CEHEJ), Badic Rights Watch, and Centre for Social Justice (CJI).

Executive Director of PLSI, Segun Elemo, who presented the report on behalf of the coalition in Abuja, said in February 2021, they claimed that NDDC was unable to account for N90.9 billion on 176 contracts awarded between 2008 and 2018.

Elemo revealed that after monitoring 115projects in the last six months, March-August, the coalition revealed that most of the projects were either completely abandoned or poorly implemented.