Senator Nwaoboshi accuses Akpabio of getting N300m contract from NDDC

The chairman of senate committee on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has accused the minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio of being awarded a N300 million fence construction contract from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

It was gathered that while Akpabio was still the senator representing Akwa Ibom north-west in 2017, he requested for a N500 million contract from the NDDC. 

Subsequently, Akpabio was reportedly awarded the contract of fencing Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom (N200 million), and Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene (N100 million).

We also gathered that Akpabio got N150 million for entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implements for youths and women of Akwa Ibom north-west senatorial district and N50 million for the renovation of a hostel at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state.

In an interview with journalists, Senator Nwaoboshi said that the contracts have been fully paid for but there was nothing to show for it. He said, 

“Findings show that while there was no physical evidence of implementation of these projects, checks show contracts were awarded and fully paid for. Such practices have turned the region to sites of abandoned projects.”

Senate refutes allegations of culpability in NDDC fraud

The senate has refuted allegations that Senators and Members of House of Representative are the brains behind the fraud in NDDC by the executive Director of Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the Interim Management Committee (IMC) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh was said to have so alleged.

He said it clearly smacks of cheap blackmail predicated on a falsehood. This was contained in a statement that was signed by the Senate’s Spokesperson senator Dr Ajibola Basiru and was made available to journalists yesterday.

He said that the National Assembly will not succumb to cheap blackmail from any quarters and is committed to ensuring probity and accountability of all agencies of government no matter whose ox is gored.

The spokesperson said they are at a loss as to why Dr. Ojougboh has repeatedly made such allegations at a time when the NDDC is under the scrutiny of forensic audit and investigation by the National Assembly.

“The Senate is even more surprised considering the fact that the allegations are baseless and unsubstantiated.

Apparently Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is ignorant of the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly to carry out oversight function over all agencies expending government resources with a view to exposing and preventing corruption and abuse.

It stands logic in the head to claim that by invoking it’s the constitutional power of oversight to investigate the activities of the IMC, the National Assembly intends to scuttle forensic audit. The outlandish claim is illogical."

He said clearly there is no adverse relationship between the oversight function of the National Assembly and a forensic audit.

Basiru said the National Assembly is committed to repositioning the NDDC to address the challenges of the Niger Delta through facilitating the rapid and sustainable development of the Niger Delta.

The spokesperson said that does not mean the Senate would not be concerned about the allegations of poor management or outright fraud in the management of the funds and operations of the commission. According to him,

“The setting up of the investigation is predicated on the above concern and not to victimise or witch hunt anyone adding that it was in that regards that the National Assembly accorded the executives the necessary cooperation that will facilitate the completion of the forensic audit.

Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as a former member of the House of Representatives should know that the National Assembly is vested with the powers of appropriation for all government ministries, departments and agencies including the NDDC.

It will appraise the budget and its operations of the Commission like other agencies to entrench a culture of transparency and accountability.”

He said for the allegations in respect of the budget, to have been brought up in the wake of exercise of oversight function by the National Assembly is suspect

“Also, one would have expected an organisation of integrity to have formally made complaints to the anti-corruption agencies of the purported allegations against Senators and Members of House of Representative of the NDDC committees if there are facts to substantiate same.

The Senate and indeed the National Assembly is also committed to exercising its constitutional mandate and will not be cowed by spurious allegations of the likes of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh."

NDDC shut down headquarters over death of director

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has shut down its headquarters in Port Harcourt after the reported death of its Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Etang.

Etang was said to have died in the early hours of Thursday as he reportedly took ill last week and was taken to the Rivers State University Teaching in Port Harcourt for treatment.

But efforts made by our correspondent to get the Corporate Affairs Department of the NDDC to confirm the sad incident were not successful.

However, in a memo signed by Silas Anyawu on behalf of the management of the NDDC effecting the shutting down of the office, he said, 

“I am directed to inform all staff that management has approved that the commission be shut down for two weeks from today 28 May 2020.

Consequently, all activities in the commission including ongoing matters are hereby shut down for the time being.

Members of staff are to ensure that all electrical appliances in their offices are switched off before leaving the premises.

The head security is by this memo directed to work out modalities to ensure the safety and security of the commission while director, the administration is requested to fumigate and decontaminate the entire offices and premises in the Headquarters during the period.

Meanwhile staff are enjoined to go into self-isolation for two weeks as they await further directive from Management.”

When contacted, the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Charles Odili, said he would not be able to confirm the director’s death, adding that such confirmation would come from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“I don’t have any official information on that; I have not spoken with the family. So, we don’t really have an official position on that matter. If we have to do it, it has to come from the Minister’s office. For now, there is no confirmation,” Odili said.