Sagay panel accuses NDDC, Customs of graft
The Presidential Advisory Council Against Corruption (PACAC) revealed yesterday that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had diverted billions of infrastructure funds to purchasing exotic cars.
The chairman of the council, Professor Itse Sagay, revealed this at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja during the National Dialogue on Corruption themed “The Limitless Ramifications of Corruption”.
Sagay said the funds, plundered from the federal allocations, were spent on the purchase of over 70 vehicles.
According to him, only 18 out of those vehicles gulped a total sum of N1.245 billion.
He said while the NDDC purchased about eight Super Lexus cars for N78 million each (N624 million); it equally bought another 10 Land Cruisers for N63 million each (N630m).
“My dear friends, you will not believe that with all we are going through, the NDDC, which is the other name for uncompleted projects, has just bought over 70 cars. Of those, about 8 of them are Super Lexus Jeeps costing N78 million each and about 10 are Land Cruisers costing N63 million each.
“This money was taken from funds for infrastructure, water, housing, hospitals, school, etc, without conscience; recklessly without a thought for the wretched people of the Niger Delta. These huge sums where plundered from their allocations, from the Federal Government,” Sagay said. He said it was ironical that the NDDC Managing Director Mr Nsima Ekere was reported to have said the NDDC lacked funds to execute projects and was in debt to the tune of N1.2 trillion.
However, NDDC in a press statement issued in Port Harcourt last night by its corporate Affairs Manager, Chijioke Amu Nnadi said no such purchases have been made since assumption of office saying that the top management staff of the commission as well as its board chairman are still using their private vehicles.
Sagay also said nothing has changed at the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in terms of fraud since the current administration came on board in May 2015.
