Godswill Akpabio, Minister, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has submitted a list of lawmakers and companies who were awarded contracts of the commission.
Last week, The NDDC Minister who was summoned by the House of Reps committee to explain the misappropriation of funds in the Commisson going up to N40billion, disclosed 60 percent of NDDC contracts were awarded to lawmakers and their companies.
However, the panel did not allow Akpabio to expatiate on these claims.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Reps who accused Akpabio of making unsubstantiated claims to discredit the reps, dared the Minister to publish the names of lawmakers and their companies or risk the wrath of the house.
The Minister who took the threat seriously submitted the list of lawmakers who benefited from NDDC contract in a letter addressed to the National Assembly last Thursday which was also sent to Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
Senator Nwaoboshi (Delta North) was awarded 53 contracts while Nicholas Mutu got 74 contracts.
Sen Matthew Urhoghide (Delta South), Sam Anyanwu, including some Edo and Ondo lawmakers are among the beneficiaries of the commission’s contracts.
It was discovered that Senator Peter Nwaoboshi was awarded 53 projects while Nicholas Mutu was involved in 74 projects.
The letter read in part: “May I extend to Mr Speaker the compliments of my office and those of the staff of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
“I refer to the resolution of the House passed on the 21st July 2020 and forwarded to me on the same day Ref. NASS/HR/LEG/3/36/VOL.ll/O8 directing me to respond to the contents therein within 48 hours
“The investigating Committee on NDDC refused and/or neglected to give me the opportunity to explain that reference to most NDDC contracts yearly being awarded since 2001 from the records allegedly to members of the National Assembty in both Chambers were done without the knowledge of the alleged beneficiaries. However, the two Chairmen of the Committees in both Chambers had adequate knowledge;
“I never referred to members of the 9th National Assembly as beneficiaries of NDDC contracts as NDDC is yet to fully implement any NDDC budget since the commencement of the 9th National Assembly. In fact. the 2019 budget passed in February and harmonised between the 4th and 5th of March 2020 was received by the Commission in the middle of April, 2020, when same was designated to expire on the 31st of May, 2020.
“However, it is pertinent to point out that the Clerk of the National Assembly forwarded a letter Ref. NASS/CNA/115/VOL.38/1175, dated 20th March, 2020, without attaching the budget details indicating that the 2020 budget of the NDDC passed into Law was being forwarded (copy of the letter is attached as Annexure ‘A’).
This anomaly was brought to the attention of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee investigating a purported financial recklessness by the management of the commission in July 2020, though the first outcry was on allegation of missing N40bn which was totally untrue;
“It has always been known that the two chairmen of the committees on NDDC in both chambers yearly exhibit unusual influence to the exclusion of committee members and even the management of the NDDC in appropriating funds to details embellished in the budget after passage of line items at the plenaries.
“In the 2019 budget, the Executive Director Projects forwarded to me the attached list of 19 Nos. old contracts amounting to almost N9bn after tax, that the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on NDDC, Honourable Tunji-Ojo, insisted the IMC of NDDC must pay before 2019 budget details could be released to the commission (see Annexure ‘A1’).
