NDDC audit report reveals 13,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta: Akpabio

Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, presented the Forensic Audit Report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Thursday, noting that 13,000 projects in the region had been abandoned.

President Muhammadu Buhari received the report from Akpabio via the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Abuja.

“The audit committee’s report revealed that the Niger Delta has over 13,000 abandoned projects, and even before the report was submitted, some contractors returned to site on their own and completed about 77 road projects.

“I thank Mr. President and all those who supported and ensured the exercise’s success, despite its tumultuous history.”

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He emphasized that the exercise was not conducted to persecute anyone, but rather to ensure that the massive sums of money invested in the area each year are justified.

He bemoaned the fact that, despite successive governments’ efforts through the creation of various interventionist programs and projects, the region had remained backward since 1958.

In a summary of the report, the Lead Forensic Auditor, Alhaji Kabir Ahmed, stated that the team recommended managerial and structural changes, the most important of which is the downsizing of the NDDC’s board.

He stated that in order to save money, the team recommended that members of the team be appointed on a part-time basis going forward.