N6.25b COVID-19 Palliatives Fraud: NDDC’s IMC Is Intimidating Me – Whistle-blower

Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, who alleged misappropriation in the disbursement of the N6.25 billion approved as COVID-19 palliatives fund by President Muhammadu Buhari for the Niger Delta, has alleged that his is being intimidated by Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Jackrich made the allegation after he honoured an invitation for interrogation by operatives of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) following a petition against him by the NDDC’s IMC.

BIGPEN understands Jackrich had petitioned the National Assembly over the alleged diversion of N6.25 billion palliatives for the region approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari gave the approval in a statement in May, 2020 while extending the tenure of the Professor Keme Pondei-led Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from May 1 to December 31, 2020, to cover the period of the forensic audit of the NDDC, earlier approved by the Federal Executive Council.

The statement reads, “In the same vein, President Buhari equally approved that the NDDC provides intervention support to complement efforts of the Federal and State governments against further spread of COVID-19 in the nine States of the Niger Delta region, in the sum of Six Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N6,250,000,000.00) only.

“The materials and supplies are to be done through Emergency Procurement method as provided in Sections 42(b) (c) and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007”, Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), said in the statement.

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However, Jackrich who was appointed as Chairman of NDDC COVID-19 Palliatives Distribution Committee, in a petition to the National Assembly had alleged diversion and misappropriation of N6.25bn palliatives funds.

According to him, in an alleged moves to cover their tracks, the NDDC’s IMC petitioned the DSS accusing him of using the NDDC letterhead in the petition he sent to the National Assembly.

“The NDDC accused me, an appointee of the commission of using the letterhead of the NDDC to petition the National Assembly against the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.

“I was invited August 24 to meet with the State Director of the DSS in Rivers state. The invitation, which came through a phone call from an operative from the Rivers State Command was said to be in connection with a petition from the Niger Delta Development Commission

“For the avoidance of doubt and as a responsible citizen, I decided to honour the said invitation on August 25, 2020.

“It is important to note that I had in my capacity as Chairman of NDDC COVID-19 Palliatives Distribution Committee petitioned the National Assembly to investigate the alleged diversion and misappropriation of N6.25 billion palliatives funds approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.

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“I alleged in the petitions to both the Senate and the House of Representatives that the NDDC Interim Management Committee IMC led by Prof. Daniel Pondei has misappropriated the money undeniably”.

Jackrich, however, said the DSS officials were professional while interrogating him as they gave him fair hearing.

He alleged action of the IMC was designed to compromise his petition, which he said was pending before the National Assembly and other agencies.

He insisted no amount of intimidation by the IMC would stop his moves and desire to secure justice for the people of the Niger Delta.

He said: “The DSS in their wisdom acting on the said petition by the IMC invited me and their engagement with me was highly professional as they fairly heard me.

“However, these moves by the IMC is aimed at using state institutions and apparatuses to both circumvent and compromise the process over the petition which is yet pending before the National Assembly and other relevant agencies.

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“The IMC seeks to intimidate me from further insistence on justice in the matter knowing that the issues I raised in the petition against them are incontrovertible and undeniable.

“Hence they resorted to seeking to strangely criminalizing my use of the Commission’s Letterhead without minding that I am an appointee of the Commission and my appointment is still subsisting with my appointment letter still very much alive.”

Meanwhile, in an earlier statement, Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Mr. Charles Odili, described as baseless, the claim that its management had embezzled N6.25 billion.

According to the NDDC, Jackrich resorted to blackmail against the IMC because it refused to grant his request to be paid a “humongous amount” for temporarily chairing the palliatives distribution committee of the commission.

It described Jackrich’s allegation as another, “false claim orchestrated by the same forces who have been waging a campaign of falsehood against the Commission and its management since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the Commission in the past 19 years.”

Giving a graphic details of the events that led to Jackrich’s appointment and removal as chairman of the COVID-19 palliatives distribution committee and his subsequent allegation and alleged blackmail against the IMC, the statement further reads, “High Chief Jackrich approached the Commission to work with it in different ways. He was then chosen to oversee the Committee involved in the distribution of the COVID-19 Palliatives to communities in the Niger Delta. The Committee was put in place to ensure transparency in the process.

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“Immediately the constitution of this committee was announced, some of the State Governors reached out to the Commission that they would have nothing to do with it. Instead, they demanded that the palliatives meant for their states be given to them. In fact, one particular Governor declined to give the permit to move the items during the COVID lockdown unless the Commission directly deal with his government in the matter.

“The Education, Health and Social Services Directorate (EHSS), which oversees the COVID-19 response raised a memo advising management to accede to the demands of the governors. The memo dated May 22, 2020 argued that in view of the need to collaborate with state governments in the Niger Delta, the management should grant approval for state directors ‘to liaise with their respective state governments, on behalf of the Commission in drawing up a programme for the flag off and donation of the COVID-19 Palliative items in their respective states.

“On May 23 2020, management approved the request of the EHSS directorate. As a result of this approval and the change in policy, the task of the High Chief Jackrich Committee became redundant. This means the High Chief was no longer and could no longer be involved in the direct distribution of the Palliatives. This also means he could not have accurate information on the exercise,” it said.