BREAKING: Buhari Breaks Silence Over NDDC’s Chaotic Probing – Orders Coordinated Investigation

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed concern over the ongoing brouhaha trailing the investigation of the financial records and activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Buhari, on Thursday, ordered speedy investigation of the agency saying there must be coordination in doing so.

The directive for a speedy and coordinated investigation followed reports of huge corruption scandal rocking the NDDC which had triggered a series of drama, blames, and counter-accusations among stakeholders.

The national assembly and NDDC interim Management Committee had been entangled in ‘conflict of interest’ after the assembly initiated a probe into monumental fraud and financial recklessness in the interventionist agency alongside the forensic audit earlier ordered by the presidency.

Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, in a statement Thursday evening, said that President Buhari gave the directives for better coordination among security and investigating agencies with the National Assembly.

According to him, the coordinated investigation would ensure that the administration’s effort to bring sanity, transparency and accountability to the management of the large amount of resources dedicated to development of the Niger Delta sub-region is not derailed.

He said that President Buhari has noted the unfolding drama, which include attacks and counter attacks between and around persons, institutions, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“President Buhari expressed his strong determination to get to the root of the problem undermining the development of the Niger Delta and its peoples in spite of enormous national resources voted year after year for this singular purpose”, the statement said.

According to the directive, auditing firms and investigative agencies working in collaboration with National Assembly Committees to resolve the challenges in the NDDC must initiate actions in a time-bound manner and duly inform the Presidency of the actions being taken.

The President also directed timely sharing of information and knowledge in a way to speedily assist the administration to diagnose what had gone wrong in the past and what needs to be done to make corrections in order to return the NDDC to its original mandate of making life better for people in Niger Delta.

President Buhari said the administration wants to bring about “rapid, even and sustainable development to the region.”

The President gave firm assurance that his administration would put in place a transparent and accountable governance framework, not only in the NDDC but in all other institutions of government.