The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has finally stepped down from presiding over the committee which had the mandate to probe the N40 billion corruption allegation against the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.
This follows the allegations of his involvement in corrupt practices in the commission by the acting Managing Director of NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tunji-Ojo stepped aside on Monday at the ongoing investigation on alleged N40 billion irregular expenditures in the NDDC in Abuja.
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Nairametrics had reported that the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC led by its acting Managing Director, had on Thursday, July 16, walked-out on lawmakers during a public hearing after accusing Tunji-Ojo of corrupt practices in the commission.
Stepping aside, Tunji-Ojo said that as a federal lawmaker he had kept his integrity in service of the people and would continue to do so.
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Tunji-Ojo said, “I am not a president or governor and so I do not enjoy immunity; if you have a case against me, send to the relevant security agencies and if I have a case to answer, I will appear. I read in a national newspaper where the IMC accused me of being on a revenge mission; this is not true; this investigation is about the emancipation of the Niger Delta people.”
“This is not about any individual but the good of the Niger Delta people and so I step aside as chairman to allow all party have a sense of free and fair hearing,” he said.
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The Deputy Chairman of the NDDC committee, Thomas Ereyitomi, will now take over as the head of the probe panel
Details later…
