The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been at the centre of different allegations of corruption in recent days.

Recall that on July 11th, 2020, former Acting MD of the NDDC, Joy Nunieh, accused the Minister of Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio, of indulging in various forms of corruption.

Also, on Sunday Politics on Channels TV, a guest on the programme, Kolawole Johnson, who is the Head of Research Act for Positive Transformation Initiative also levelled numerous accusations of fraud and sharp practices against the leadership of the NDDC. 

Particularly, he singled out that funds were transferred into the account of the Executive Director of Project, Cairo Ojouagbo while NDDC scholarship students are languishing in foreign lands.

Recently, the 2019 NDDC scholarship students have accused the Niger Delta Development Commission of abandonment, claiming that even their fees have not been paid.

However, on Monday, July 13th, 2020, the NDDC responded to these allegations via a press release signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Obi Odilli.

Odilli said all required paperwork for the transfer of funds to make sure that the beneficiaries of the scholarship progamme are paid.

He however revealed that the delay in remitting the payments may have be as a result of some bottlenecks at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The release reads;

“The Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is making concerted efforts to ensure that the Commission meets its financial obligations to the beneficiaries of the 2019 Post-Graduate Foreign Scholarship Programme. We are doing everything possible to make sure that the beneficiaries of the scholarship progamme are paid. We have done all the paper work required for the transfer of the funds. The delay in remitting the payments may have been as a result of some bottlenecks at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The Commission has no intention whatsoever to abandon the scholars who are our ambassadors. We are, therefore, doing everything possible to make sure that the beneficiaries of the scholarship progamme are paid.

TheCOVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown created the problem for the Commission to meet this obligation. Moreover, the current inquest by the National Assembly has not given the Commission ample time to work. However, the processes for payment has gone far and the students will be made to smile in the quickest possible time

The NDDC foreign scholarship scheme started in 2010, with the objectives to bridge the gap in the management cadre of the oil and gas sector of the Niger Delta region; address the dearth of professional human capital and capacity among the youths and prepare them for leadership and management positions in the oil and gas sector.

Till date, some 1,634 youths have been trained under the scheme, who turn out as better qualified youths armed to bring new learning to bear in different sectors of the Niger Delta economy.

We want to re-state our determination to promote quality education for the people of the Niger Delta region. The stakeholders of the region should disregard unfounded allegations that the students were abandoned.’’