The Ijaw Youth Council has faulted the Senate Committee on Public Account for summoning the Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari.
The group said the committee had no supervisory powers to do so.
The IYC, Eastern Zone, said the allegations against Semenitari on some issues, including the alleged awarding of huge contracts between 2014 and 2016 without documented evidence were false.
IYC Chairman, Eastern Zone, Iyerifama Jaja, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday said that the acting MD’s immediate predecessor, Bassey Dan-Abia, who awarded the contracts should be summoned to account for his stewardship if the contracts must be revisited.
On the issue of the N28.7 billion tax owed the Federal Inland Revenue Service as, the group maintained that Semenitari should not be liable for the alleged inactions of her predecessor who served under a different party manifesto.
“Semenitari has maintained the Treasury Single Account since assuming office in December 2015. NDDC could have operated 22 separate accounts.
“But certainly not under her watch as the records are there for the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to verify,” the statement read.
According to the group, “We take cognizance of the fact that the Ijaw trying to unseat her are all members of the All Progressives Congress. In this respect, we again, thank the Peoples Democratic Party for their maturity.
“We thank President (Muhammadu) Buhari for keeping faith with the ethnic minorities of the Niger Delta. We declare his sincerity in the development of the region.”
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