 The Senate Adho Committee has begun the holistic investigation into alleged owner-authorized spending by the Niger Delta Development Commission and the D.C. Chairman of the committee, Senator Yusuf Yusuf expressed dissatisfaction with many staff Niger Delta Affairs O'Connor O'Connor during an interactive investigative hearing on the N.D.D.C. for 2021 and 2022 budget estimates. Details in this report. The minister and his team appeared before the Adho Committee at the National Assembly complex on Thursday in Abuja. While it is utmost desire of this committee that N.D.D.C. budget must take care of the general interests of the people of the region, as they are seriously craving for development and empowerment. In view of this, we require an overview of N.D.D.C. 2021-2022 budget estimates from the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. While making his clarification on alleged reckless spending, O'Connor O'Connor explained that the reason for the delays in submitting its budgets and audited accounts to the National Assembly was due to some factors. When I came and discovered they had not, because they briefed me, when I came as my pastor and I said, where is your budget for 2021? They said they had some meetings with the presidents. And at that time they were working to conclude, to conclude the 2022 draft. In two weeks they said that draft was also ready. So I've done it for 2022, for our transmission to the National Assembly. And then did a reminder. Scrutinizing the ministry, some of the committee members said it was a breach of the Constitution for the N.D.D.C. to carry out expenditure of the budget estimates without approval of the National Assembly. If there were no budgets for 2021, by the Constitution and extant rules, are we not right to this committee and the public not right to expect that the expenditures for 2021 and 2022 should not therefore exceed the threshold as per the previous years? Is that not the correct position? I would like to know, when has the time been joined as the minister of the N.D.C. because the room for the N.D.C. were D.M.D., have I finally joined as the minister of the N.D.C. in July 2022? Does it mean that they never came to the ministry for any approval? Does it mean that I never asked about the passage of 2021 budget and 2022? Does it mean that you are just running the office without having any knowledge of financial transactions? According to the committee on the financial records of the expenditures of the commission, the minister said that it was not in its capacity to know if the N.D.D.C. was exceeding its budget, but was in the capacity of the account officer of the commission to know so. I'm sorry to go back to this issue of accounting officer. I have also taken my time to bring the procurement back. And the responsibility, that is why a minister cannot give directives on the financial administration of the president. No minister can do that because it doesn't have some powers. It's not the accounting officer. In its concluding remarks, the committee chairman said while the committee would cooperate with the commission to actualize its mandate, the lawmakers won't hesitate to stand against abnormalities. The Senate had earlier stood down consideration of the N.D.D.C. 2023 budget and requested further information and clarifications on the financial activities of the N.D.D.C. for 2021 and 2022 budget estimates before it was later passed. Hello, hope you enjoyed the news. Please do subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't forget to hit the notification button so you get notified about fresh news updates.