Pondei Ignored Doctors’ Advice To Attend Hearing – NDDC

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has explained that its acting Managing Director, Prof. Keme Pondei, collapsed at the National Assembly because he ignored his doctors’ advice on his state of health.

A statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said Pondei has been ill for the past two weeks but that his condition deteriorated Monday morning necessitating his doctors to advise him against attending the hearing.

Odili said:

“The commission wishes to disclose that Prof Pondei has been ill for the past two weeks. This morning, his condition deteriorated, and his doctors advised against attending the hearing.

“However, he ignored his doctors’ advice because of the realisation that his traducers will use his absence at the hearing to soil his name and reputation. He thought he could make it through the hearing and take care of his health later. As it turned out, his doctors were right. Prof Pondei is in a stable condition at a clinic in Abuja.”

Odili said that Pondei assumed office on February 20, 2020 and by May 5, the two arms of the National Assembly ordered a probe of his tenure, two third of which was spent under COVID-19 lockdown conditions.

He noted that following his position, Pondei, has an official duty to answer for the activities of the commission and what happened between 2008 – 2012 “which is the subject of another hearing based on the auditor general’s report for the period.”

NDDC