Senate interrogates Niger Delta Basin Authority on N220m contract frauds

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

For misappropriating the Nigerian taxpayers’ money, the Senate Public Accounts Committee has questioned the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA) over N220 million unexecuted contracts.

It was gathered the Auditor-General’s audit query report submitted to the panel indicated that said the contracts were awarded in 2012, while the Senate Committee is probing spending by Federal Government’s agencies in the last four years.

A contract for the construction of 10 hand-pump boreholes in Obo-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was awarded to a firm at a cost of N9.2 million through letter reference AD/NDBDS/C/20/12/050 and dated 18th October, 2012, according to the report.

It stated: “It was claimed that the job has been completed and payment effected. However, audit inspection revealed the boreholes on the sites were inexistent.”

The report also revealed the contract for construction of solar-powered water project at Ekwetortor, in Delta State, was awarded to a company October 18, 2012, at a contract price of N10 million with completion of six-and-a-half weeks.

“The total contract sum had been paid but a visit to the site showed that the solar power was not working as the residents confirmed. N3.8 million value of the contract has not been done,” it said.

The audit query also listed other projects not executed to include N13 million Otir Ewhu water rehabilitation projects and N14 million solar-powered water projects in Ebenedebiri and Trofani, Bayelsa.

All the issues raised were communicated to the Managing Director of NDBDA through Audit inspection report in July 2016, according to the Auditor-General’s report.

Mr. Tonye David-West, Managing Director of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, failed to defend all the queries issued to him by Senate Committee on Public Account, chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide.

The Committee, therefore, sustained all the queries issued by the Office of Auditor General of the Federation (AGF).