N11.3 trillion goes to South-South states, NDDC in 21 years

In the nearly 19 years of its existence the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has received N946. 91 billion as allocation, it has emerged in Abuja.
However, it is arguable if the developments on ground in the oil-rich region tallies with released monies.
In addition, the documents from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation also show the sum is  part of the N9.43 trillion allocated between 1999 to 2019 as 13 per cent derivation  to the nine oil producing states and other agencies of the Federal Government involved in developing oil producing communities.
Further information garnered from the Budget Office  showed that the NDDC allocation is subsumed in the Ministry of Niger Delta’s total allocation.
For instance, the NDDC got a budgetary allocation of N61,94bn in 2014;   N45.78bn in 2015  and   N71. 2bn in 2018.
Other allocations that the commission got were buried in the main allocation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and  so the exact amount could not be readily determined.
But budgetary allocation to the  NDDC, from 2004 to 2019 stands at N769bn with the highest allocations of N81.9bn  in 2018 and N100.19bn in 2019.
Monthly  FAAC disbursements, NDDC though the oil mineral producing states benefitted from 13% derivation amounting to N8.66trillion.
Figures from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) showed that without fail, the 13% derivation was paid to the governments of the states identified as oil mineral producing states.
Distribution from Foreign Excess Crude Savings Account for July, 2009 Augmentation; Distribution of $2billion from Foreign Excess Crude Savings Account; and Exchange Gain Difference were also paid out to the oil producing states among other pay outs.
The office of the  Auditor-General of the Federation has  queried over N70 million  spent  by the NDDC to accommodate persons at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja between 2008 and 2012.
In the extract review of responses to its audit query, the office also noted multiplicity of hotel bills and receipts, some of which the commission said were missing.
It also identified about N133.16 million spent as advances on community engagements and project inspection which   were not properly accounted for.
The extract review reads in part: “In view of this, the then Acting Managing Director…. accordingly gave approval for the guests to be accommodated at the Transcorp Hilton Hotels, Abuja. The rooms were reserved in the name of the Ag. Managing Director and her S.A. At the end of it, the hotel management issued us with receipts.
“We used the receipts as part of the documents in retiring the N70,000,000 (N50.000,000 and N20,000,000) that we collected for this purpose. The N10.000,000 that was left unspent at the end of the exercise was refunded.
▪︎ Additional reports by TheNewsGuru.com