Social Action Lauds ICPC over ‘Arraignment of NDDC Director’

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Non-governmental organization, Social Action, has lauded the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over the arraignment of Dr. Solomon Okpa Ita, a director with the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Okpa Ita was arraigned in connection with an alleged diversion of N45 million, being part of the funds paid for an NDDC contract awarded to a group known as the Radiant Women Association.

In a release made available to correspondent, Social Action’s programmes coordinator, Mr. Isaac Botti said, “We are happy that an anti-graft agency like the ICPC is taking a bold step to end the monstrous corruption in the NDDC.

“We believe that there are more corrupt officials in the NDDC including former directors of the commission, who have diverted contracts funds meant for developmental projects in the Niger Delta region. We want the ICPC and other anti-graft agencies to go after such ones irrespective of their social or political positions”.

Botti pointed out “the Forensic Audit Report of the NDDC revealed that there are over 12,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region despite the N6 trillion that has accrued to the commission.

“With the report submitted to the office of the President, Nigerians had expected several arrests and prosecution of those indicted in the report. We have however seen just a few arrests and releases of these individuals.

“Therefore, we call on the President, Muhammadu Buhari, to order a full-blown investigation and prosecution of all involved in the flagrant waste and mismanagement of the N6 trillion accrued to the NDDC.

“We also call on President Buhari to make public the forensic audit report as this will rekindle the hope of Nigerians that he is a transparent leader who would leave no stone unturned in his fight against corruption in public institutions like the NDDC,” he said.