NDDC denies divertion of #183 Billion.

THE Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dan Abia, on Wednesday, met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to deny that about N183 billion had been diverted from the commission's account.

The Auditor General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, had last week  Wednesday, said that N183 billion meant for the development of the Niger Delta could not be accounted for and therefore recommended that it should be recovered.
According to the Tribune news, Ukura had said, while submitting three special audit reports to the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, that the amount was discovered in the periodic checks carried out by his office on the activities and programmes of the commission between 2008 and 2012.
But speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting with the president, the Managing Director said he denied before him that the sum was missing in the NDDC account as claimed by the Auditor General of the Federation.
He also denied allegation of contract splitting by the commission as he said that the NDDC was a unique organisation with its own budgeting processes.
Abia, who said the meeting with the president was at his own instance and not summoned by the president, explained that he was at the Presidential Villa to brief the president on the mandate of the commission.
He said: "It is only proper that we should come and brief the president. I requested to meet the president in my capacity as the Managing Director of the NDDC. So, I was not summoned as reported in the media. We briefed the president on our mandate."
While denying the Auditor General's missing fund claim, he added: "As far as the audited account of the NDDC is concerned, how many of us know that the audited account under reference refers to 2008 to 2012. I was not the Managing Director then. Let's get that fact clear.
"The second one on not having access (to audited accounts). I don't know from when to when. On principle, I came to brief the president proper. Let me assure you that even by the admission of the Auditor General (of the Federation), no N180 billion is missing."