Some staff members of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), described as key to its operations, have been sent on indefinite compulsory leave to permit an unhindered flow of an ongoing forensic audit of the commission, it said.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, the Commission said it had to place some members of staff on mandatory leave with full benefits, pending the conclusion and outcome of the ongoing forensic audit.
The action is said to be based on the advice of the lead consultant on the forensic audit, which has been accepted by the Interim Management Committee (IMC).
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The Presidency ordered the forensic audit into all contracts of the NDDC from the onset to determine the correctness, due process, and amounts paid and owed on them. Over 8000 contracts have been verified and handed over to the lead consultant to begin auditing but many contractors stayed away from the verification exercise.
The statement gave categories of staff sent on the mandatory leave to include those indicted by security agencies like the Police, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for acts of impropriety.
Also included are those whose acts are the subject of investigations by the forensic auditors, and those who held key and sensitive positions in the commission during the period covered by the forensic audit and whose continued presence in the Commission would interfere, impair, undermine or compromise the objective of the forensic auditing of the affairs of the Commission.
The Commission said the mandatory leave takes immediate effect and that the affected staff has already been notified.
