By our correspondent
There is palpable tension at the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) following reports that security operatives have questioned the Commission’s Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogboku over alleged links to the financing of subversive activities.
Reliable sources within the Commission told Journalists that the invitation of the Managing Director by the security agency on Monday has triggered widespread anxiety among senior officials.
According to one insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, “Since the news broke about the MD’s questioning, the atmosphere here has been uneasy. Many directors are being cautious about their movements and communications.”
Those said to be visibly disturbed include the Executive Director of Finance and Administration Mr boma Iyaye, Head of Procurements Dr. Doodei Agbabou Week and the Head of Accounts, Mrs Kunemofa Asu, trio of whom reportedly maintain close administrative ties with the embattled Managing Director.
Sources further disclosed that many top officials are apprehensive that the development may trigger a broader probe into the Commission’s financial dealings under the current Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogboku, who is alleged to have sidestepped due process in key administrative and financial decisions within the agency.
While details of the questioning remain unclear, investigators are said to be scrutinising a series of high-value transactions carried out in recent months, allegedly linked to politically exposed persons. This includes a shoreline project awarded to a former governor to the tune of 45 Billion naira, some of which alledgly found it’s way to the account of some of the detained officers.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the NDDC’s spokesperson were unsuccessful as calls and messages to the agency’s media unit were not returned at the time of filing this report.
Security sources, however, confirmed that the interrogation of the MD was “part of a broader intelligence-based inquiry into the movement of public funds.”
The development has sparked intense speculation within the Commission, with staff expressing concern that the investigation could widen to implicate other senior officials.
