Acting NDDC MD Pondei collapsed under guilt of corruption

The Peoples Democratic Party has said that the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, fainted before a House of Representatives investigative panel as a result of the “weight and shame of overwhelming collective guilt brought on him by the exposure of massive corruption” in the commission.

Pondei collapsed while he was being grilled by lawmakers investigating mismanagement of funds up to the tune of N81.5 bn in the NDDC.

In a statement titled ‘Collapse of NDDC MD Underlines Weight of Corruption in APC’ and signed by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party asked the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to suspend the supervising minister of the commission, Godswill Akpabio.

The statement partly read, “The Peoples Democratic Party says the dramatic collapse of while being grilled by the House of Representatives, further underscores the weight of corruption that has bedeviled the All Progressives Congress administration.

“The PDP said it was obvious that the embattled NDDC acting Managing Director collapsed under the weight and shame of overwhelming collective guilt brought on him by the exposure of massive corruption being perpetrated by NDDC officials and APC leaders.

“It is rather curious that Prof. Pondei slumped after lawmakers demanded that he offers explanations on the contentious payment of billions of naira, alleged unbudgeted sums, to certain companies by the NDDC.

“This is particularly as Nigerians recall that the embattled NDDC boss had, last week, stalled proceedings by challenging the legislators and walking out on the House of Representatives investigative panel.

“Our party restates our submission to President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately suspend the Minister of Niger Delta Affair, Akpabio, as well as disband the NDDC Interim Management Committee, if he indeed desires the coordinated probe he ordered to yield any credible results.”