The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions yesterday launched an investigation into alleged job racketeering in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Addressing at the National Assembly, the committee’s chairman, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, said there were series of petitions before his panel by aggrieved job seekers from the Niger Delta region, alleging that the NDDC’s management did not allow them to carry out any documentation despite issuing them original letters of employment.

Akinyelure said one of the petitions, signed by a former deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, alleged that employments into the NDDC were sold for various amounts depending on the financial strength of the applicant’s family.

He said: “The former management of the NDDC carried out a lot of atrocities in that commission and our committee has advised Umana Umana and the new managing director to go deep and review all the issues.

“There are original employment letters before our committee. Many letters were issued to qualified Nigerians after they had passes both written and oral interviews but they were not allowed to resume.”

He said the committee had absolved the incumbent Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana, of the alleged job racketeering and all allegations contained in a separate petition that accused him of plotting to siphon N480bn NDDC funds lodged with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). (Daily Trust)

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