NDDC officials paid students’ research funds to personal accounts, group tells Reps panel 

A researcher, Kola Johnson, on Thursday told the House of Representatives ad hoc committee investigating the alleged misappropriation of funds in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) how top officials of the commission allegedly paid students’ research funds into their personal accounts.

Johnson, who is the Head of Research at the Act of Positive Transformation Initiative (APTI), told the panel that he got to know about the situation thorough investigation.

According to him, the NDDC’s Executive Director, Project, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and Managing Director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, were among officials who allegedly diverted the scholarship funds into their private accounts.

He said: “They (students) kept crying that their dues were not being paid and they are being locked out by their schools.”

READ ALSO: NDDC PROBE: Reps meet Nunieh, summon Akpabio

Kolawole added that while the students continued to cry for the unpaid monies, “the NDDC officials were busy paying themselves monies meant for students.”

He revealed that some of the beneficiaries of the commission’s scholarship scheme reached out to him on social media and asked him to assist them in making Nigerians know about their predicament.

He appealed to the Federal Government to urgently come to the abandoned students’ rescue.

Ojuogboh had in a chat with journalists recently denied any unholy activity by the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC).

He said: “l’m a civilised man. I’m a soldier of truth and a promise keeper.”

Opinions