The 2019 budget defence of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the agency’s Interim Management Committee has suffered a setback.

This comes as the acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Professor KEME PONDEI, led the agency’s Executive Director (Project), Dr CAIRO OJOUGBOH, and other top officials to the National Assembly in Abuja to defend the agency’s budget for the previous year.

The NDDC team appeared before members of the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Niger Delta.

However, they could not successfully defend the agency’s budget as the lawmakers pointed out some discrepancies in the budget.

Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta, OLUBUNMI TUNJI-OJO, told newsmen that the NDDC has requested more time to properly look into their books.