Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development
Commission, Daniel Pondei, appeared to faint as the House of Representatives
committee on NDDC grilled him on Monday.
The committee is in its fourth day of public hearing as it
investigates alleged financial misappropriation at the agency.
The controversy had seen strong allegations of corruption
traded between the Minister and the former MD of the NDDC, Joi Nunei, who appeared
before the lawmakers via Zoom on Friday.
Pondei had been grilled for over an hour and when he slowly
slumped over his desk, appearing too faint.
Once he was spotted, several people present at the hearing
rushed to his aid, propping him up and attempting to stabilise him, with the
proceedings halted.
He then appeared to be in a seizure with a man, holding open
his mouth as others held him upright. After he appeared to regain and lose
composure intermittently, he was moved out of the session.
The development led to a brief
discussion about the next step to take. A move to have the session adjourned
was shouted before the Deputy Chairman of the Committee called for a 30-minute
recess.
Lawmakers investigating
corruption allegations in the NDDC had on Friday summoned Pondei and the
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to appear before
them today (Monday) as the country sought to understand how budgetary
allocations to the agency had been spent.
This is not the first time an
appearance by the NDDC MD before the lawmakers will come to a halt under
dramatic circumstances.
The NDDC boss had walked out on
the lawmakers on Thursday, last week, after accusing the Chairman of the
Committee, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of being an interested party in the
investigation.
He said as long as Tunji-Ojo
presided over the investigation, the Commission would not get a fair hearing.
He then refused to make presentations before the committee and walked out.
Angered by the move, the
lawmakers resolved to issue a warrant of arrest compelling Professor Pondei to
appear before the lawmakers and make a proper submission.
The lawmakers, however, decided
to summon him again, and at the start of his appearance, he apologised for his
action.
Although he said he “regretted”
the incident which happened last week, before he was questioned by the
lawmakers, the Chairman of the Committee recused himself from the session,
leaving Hon. Thomas Ereyi-Tobi, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee to
preside.
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