The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Monday the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, fainted before a House of Representatives investigative panel due to the “weight and shame of overwhelming collective guilt brought on him by the exposure of massive corruption” in the commission.
In a statement titled: “Collapse of NDDC MD Underlines Weight of Corruption in APC,” and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party asked President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
The NDDC chief collapsed on Monday morning when he appeared before the House of Representatives panel probing the alleged mismanagement of over N80 billion in the commission.
The statement read: “The Peoples Democratic Party says the dramatic collapse of the NDDC acting managing director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, while being grilled by the House of Representatives, further underscores the weight of corruption that has bedeviled the All Progressives Congress administration.
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“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.”
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