The senate on Sunday said the National Assembly will won’t back down on its probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
It made the remark while reacting to claims by NDDC Interim Management Committee, IMC, that lawmakers in the National Assembly were behind the fraud in the commission.
In a statement by its spokesman, Senator Akinola Bashiru, the senate described the allegation as baseless and unsubstantiated.
The senate charged NDDC to provide evidence of alleged corruption claims lawmakers to anti-graft agencies for investigation.
Ajibola said no amount of blackmail against lawmakers would stop the National Assembly’s from its ongoing investigations into the financial misappropriation of NDDC.
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He stated that the National Assembly is determined to ensure accountability in government institutions, irrespective of who is affected.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Senate has been drawn to a statement credited to Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director of Projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission under the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
“Ojuogboh in his statement alleged that Senators and Members of House of Representative are behind the fraud in NDDC.
“Ordinarily, while we are still at a loss as to why Ojougboh has repeatedly made such allegations at a time when the NDDC is under scrutiny of forensic audit and investigation by the National Assembly, the Senate is even more surprised considering the fact that the allegations are baseless and unsubstantiated.
“The National Assembly will not succumb to cheap blackmail from any quarters and is committed to ensuring probity and accountability of all agencies of government, no matter whose ox is gored.”
NDDC is under investigation for alleged mismanagement of N40 billion.
Recently, the senate had vowed to unearth the truth and expose the culprits.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK