The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Affairs on Thursday issued a warrant of arrest for the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.
Pondei who appeared before the Committee in Abuja walked out on the members after failing to answer their questions.
The Committee is investigating an alleged N40 billion irregular expenditure by the embattled commission.
The warrant of arrest was issued following a unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia) at the investigative hearing.
Kalu, who is the spokesman for the House, commended the committee members for the maturity exhibited following the provocations by the NDDC boss.
“I want to refer this committee as well as the invited guests to section 60 which says that, the Senate or the House of Representatives shall have powers to regulate its own procedure.
“It is within the parameters of the law that the house regulates its activities, this is a committee affair and not a personalised affair.
“I want to move that this committee invokes the provisions of section 89 of the Constitution and invoke our powers on warrant of arrest to compel the agency to come and answer how they have administered the money appropriated to them,” he said.
Pondei had accused the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo (APC-Ondo) of corrupt practices.
He said that the NDDC will only respond and make presentations if the Chairman of the committee steps down.
The committee, however, passed a vote of confidence on the chairman, describing him as a man of integrity and a leader of high reputation.
Earlier, Tunji-Ojo said that the committee was mandated by the house to carry out an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds in the agency.
He said that documents from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation showed that the NDDC had spent N81.5 billion between January and May.
