FG Okays N722m For NDDC Audit As Buhari Inaugurates 12 Perm Secs

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has sanctioned the hiring of eight field experts to undertake the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, who made the disclosure at the end of the 13th virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over yesterday by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, said N722.3 million had been approved for the assignment.

Briefing State House correspondents alongside his Information and Culture, and Water Resources counterparts, Lai Mohammed and Suleiman Adamu, the Akwa-Ibom ex-governor added that the auditors are to examine 12,000 abandoned projects.

The gathering also okayed a N101 million increase for the ongoing Ogbese dam project in Ekiti State.

Adamu said FEC equally approved his memo for “an extension of 24 months in favour of the consultant, Messrs. Geomatics Nig. Ltd.”

Prior to the commencement of meeting, President Buhari swore in 12 permanent secretaries.

The lucky technocrats included Belgore Lomido (Kwara); Akinlade Oluwatoyin (Kogi); Ekpa Anthonia Akpabio (Cross River); Alkali Bashir Nura (Kano); Ardo Babayo Kumo (Gombe); and Anyanwutaku Adaora lfeoma (Anambra).

The rest were Udoh Moniloja Omokunmi (Oyo); Hussaini Babangida (Jigawa); Mohammed Aliyu Ganda (Sokoto); Mahmuda Mamman (Yobe); Meribole Emmanuel Chukwuemeka (Abia); and Tarfa Yerima Peter (Adamawa).

He also inaugurated Idahagbon Henry and Usman Hassan as commissioners of the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.