I didn’t fake fainting―Pondei finally speaks after Panel probe
The acting managing director/chief executive officer of the Expanded Interim Management Committee, (EIMC) Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei has cleared air on the events that occurred during his his probe by the Senate committee.
Speaking to the Vanguard in an Interview on Tuesday, August, 18, Pondei explained how he unexpectedly fainted while being questioned by lawmakers, a month ago.
He said, “I had an unexplained, unexpected health challenge. It is ridiculous to think that people believed I was acting.
”I would not pray for anyone to experience what I went through. I do not run from issues. I have put all that behind me.
Speaking on the delay in passing the Commission’s 2019 Budget, Daily Times gathered that a typographical error delayed it, according to Pondei.
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He said: “A minor typographical error was noticed and we asked for 10 minutes to amend the errors, but the presentation was stepped down. The National Assembly, NASS, has since gone on recess.”
Responding to the allegations against him, he said, ”This is because the accusations/allegations were laughable. From N40 billion missing, the probes now became extra-budgetary spending. After accusing the EIMC of embezzlement of N40 billion, nothing was substantiated. The IMC is then asked to refund monies paid for historical debts owed contractors, service providers and allowances paid to staff.
Pondei who responded to the reactions of Nigeria over the expenditures for N81.5 bn, said, ”This is not true. The current EIMC did not spend N81.5bn. This was the joint expenditure by both IMCs from October 2019 to 31st May 2020.
”The current IMC between 20th February 2020 and 31st May, 2020 spent N59.1bn. Out of this, N38.6bn was for capital expenditure, paid to contractors and other expenditure incurred by previous managements.
”The balance was for recurrent expenditure, including backlog of debts owed to service providers and backlog of allowances approved for staff by previous managements, but left unpaid. Our sin has been that we have tried to clean up the embarrassing debts incurred by previous managements.”
The Acting manager said the non-passage of the 2020 NDDC Budget is causing retrogression to the region.
”People borrowed money to execute NDDC contracts. Non-payment is having a toll on many contractors from the region. Two budgetary cycles have been lost. Recall that it was the unavailability of budgets that led to previous Managements adopting emergency contracts to keep the NDDC functional, and has ultimately led to this burdensome debt profile of the NDDC.”
