NDDC probed over alleged job racketeering

The Senate have probed into alleged job racketeering in the Niger Delta Development by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions launched yesterday on (NDDC) Commission.

Senator Ayo Akinyelure the National Assembly, the committee’s chairman addressing, said there were series of petitions before his panel by aggrieved job seekers from the Niger Delta region, alleging that the NDDC’s management did not permit them to carry out documentation despite issuing them original letters of employment.

Akinyelure remarked in one of the petitions, signed by a former deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, comfirmed allegations that employments into the NDDC were sold for various amounts depending on the financial capacity of the applicant’s family.

He said: “The former management of the NDDC carried out a lot of atrocities in that commission and our committee has advised Umana Umana and the new managing director to go deep and review all the issues.

“There are original employment letters before our committee. Many letters were issued to qualified Nigerians after they had passes both written and oral interviews but they were not allowed to resume.”

He said the committee had absolved the incumbent Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, of the alleged job racketeering and all allegations contained in a separate petition that accused him of plotting to siphon N480bn NDDC funds lodged with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

(Daily Trust)