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DailyLgend
The Act for Positive Transformation Initiatives(APTI) a Civil Society Organisation (CSO) has issued a 7-day ultimatum to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to refund the over N500 billion in its custody to the Delta Development Commission (NDDC)
The Head, Directorate of Research, Strategy and Programmes, Mr Johnson Kolawole made the demand while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.
Kolawole also demanded that the EFCC immediately stops collection of funds due to the NDDC, gives account of all monies so far collected and return the funds intact without any deduction.
He said that the NDDC Act states that 3 per cent of the total annual budget of the oil-producing companies operating onshore and offshore in the Niger-Delta including the gas producing companies be paid to the commission to run its affairs.
Kolawale said that the NDDC Act, without ambiguity, gave exclusive power to the commission to determine how its assets and funds are to be held and regulated.
He alleged that the EFCC had since 2020, taken over the role of collecting 3 per cent of the total annual budget of oil-producing companies on behalf of the NDDC without remitting the same.
According to him, this was done without any legal justification and in flagrant disregard of the NDDC Establishment Act, 2000.
He said investigations showed that the anti-graft agency appeared not to have created a dedicated account for the funds.
According to him, this is fueling suspicion that the EFCC might have turned a chunk of the NDDC funds into recovery for the Federal Government.
Kolawole said that the said fund cannot be classified under recovery and thus, cannot be kept under government recovery account.
He said that by law, the EFCC is not a revenue collection agency and cannot hold funds on behalf of the NDDC.
He said that the law only gave powers to the management and Board of the NDDC, not EFCC or any other agency of government.
“We demand immediate discontinuance of demand for the 3 per cent of the total annual budget of the oil-producing companies operating onshore and offshore in the Niger Delta, including the gas-producing companies by the EFCC.
“The refund by the EFCC to the NDDC, of all the funds without any illegal deductions or charges whatsoever, within seven days of all the funds taken by the EFCC on behalf of the NDDC since 2020.
“The EFCC should within seven working days give a proper account of what has been so far collected and make the same public for the purpose of accountability,” he said.
Kolawole called on the NDDC to upon return, keep the fund in a dedicated NDDC account and not to touched it till after the 2023 general elections.
He said that the management of the commission should ensure every penny taken out of the fund is properly accounted for probity.
When contacted, the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren did not confirmed nor deny the allegation.
He, however, said that the NDDC was in a better position to confirm if monies were collected on their behalf.
“What they are talking about is NDDC right? So why don’t you call the NDDC to find out if any money is missing.
“NDDC is not the one complaining right? Call NNDC, they have a spokesperson, they have a board chairman and a managing director, verify from them,” he said.
Responding, the NDDC Director for Corporate Affairs, Dr Abitoye Abosede confirmed that the EFCC has been collecting funds on be half of the NDDC.
He explained that the funds were being kept in trust by the anti graft agency to secure it at a time when the NDDC had interim management.
He, however, said that reconciliations are almost concluded between both agencies for the funds to be returned to the NDDC.
“I will not say they are not giving it to the NDDC, actually there was a time when we had interim management and the EFCC was asked to collect the funds in order to secure our funding.
“It was agreed that the oil companies should pay it to them for them to hold it in trust for us in those years we were having interim.
“But right now efforts are on to harmonise the funds they have collected from the oil company so that we can get the money back.
“We are at the point where the EFCC will pay back the money to NDDC; Mr President has given directive that they should pay the money back to NDDC,” he said.