NDDC MD Opens Up: Why I Fainted In NASS

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

The acting managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Prof Kenebradikumo Pondei has opened up on the circumstances that led to his dramatic collapse, during questioning at the National Assembly, one month ago.

Pondei, on July 20, 2020, fainted before the National Assembly panel probing how NDDC Interim Committee spent over N81 billion, less than a year.

 He collapsed exactly at the point he was asked the reasons the commission paid N642 million to Clear Point Communication and was taken out for medical treatment.

When the video of the incident appeared on the social media, Many Nigerians described the incident as mere  theatrical display by Pondei to evade questioning.

Reacting to the incident for the first time, on Tuesday in an interview with Vanguard newspaper, Pondei claimed that he was not acting up and that he was battling “unexplained and unexpected” health challenges.

The acting managing director noted that he would not wish his enemy to experience what happened to him at the National Assembly.

“I had an unexplained, unexpected health challenge. It is ridiculous to think that people believed I was acting. I would not pray for anyone to experience what I went through. I do not run from issues. I have put all that behind me, ” he told Vanguard.

Reacting to the allegation that the Interim management spent over N81.5 billion, he said, “This is not true. The current EIMC did not spend N81.5bn. This was the joint expenditure by both IMCs from October 2019 to 31st May 2020.

 “The current IMC between 20th February 2020 and 31st May, 2020 spent N59.1bn. Out of this, N38.6bn was for capital expenditure, paid to contractors and other expenditure incurred by previous managements.

“The balance was for recurrent expenditure, including backlog of debts owed to service providers and backlog of allowances approved for staff by previous managements, but left unpaid.

“Our sin has been that we have tried to clean up the embarrassing debts incurred by previous managements.”

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