The Panel set up by the Nigerian Senate to investigate the alleged financial mismanagement by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has recommended that the Interim Management Committee be dissolved.

The recommendation of the investigative panel was made known while presenting their findings on the floor of the Senate, during plenary on Thursday.

Headed by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, the
panel also recommended that the presidency should take over the supervision of the NDDC from the committee.

The Senate panel also suggested that the monitoring and advisory bodies recognised by the Act which established the NDDC, should be inaugurated immediately.

They lamented the extra-budgetary spending by the IMC which it noted was affecting the people of the Niger Delta.

It noted that the Ministry of Niger Delta has no capacity to implement the forensic audit and therefore demanded that the Auditor General of the Federation should supervise the forensic audit for transparency and efficiency.

It also said the Auditor General should appoint internationally renowned audit experts to carry out the exercise.

It added that the N1.4bn spent on COVID -19 by the IMC  should be refunded to the NDDC account.

As at the time of filing this report,  the senators were still debating the report of the panel, presented by the Chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi.