A mild drama unfolded at about 12.55pm on Monday at public hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) probing the alleged N40billion contract sleaze, as the acting managing director of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission, Prof. Kemebradeikumo Pondei, fainted.
In the heat of a barrage of pointblank questions directed at Pondei whose turn it was to say what he knew about contracts awarded and payments made under his watch, the NDDC boss  suddenly lowered his head on the table and went blank.
With his eyeballs wide open and mouth seemingly tightening, Pondei was revived by aides and others present at the venue of the public hearing. They poured water on him and shook him intermittently, as efforts were made to force his mouth open to enable him breath freely.
After some minutes, Pondei regained consciousness, but soon relapsed and was moved out of the Committee Room, compelling a stand-down of the proceedings for a period of 30 minutes.
Among the questions asked by members of the committee, was a N1.32billion spent by the IMC as COVID-19 palliatives which the Reps declared as extra-budgetary, and a payment of N641million to Clear Point Communications to identify and locate NDDC projects in the Niger Delta region.
The NDDC boss had last week walked out on the committee after accusing the chairman, Hon. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo of bias. The committee which had earlier issued a warrant of arrest the NDDC boss, however, summoned him to appear before it by 11.am on Monday, alongside the Minister for Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, and others.
