NDDC Probe: Akpabio Names Lawmakers Involved In NDDC Contracts
Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, has released the list of lawmakers involved in the alleged looting of funds from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The list was part of the letter submitted to the National Assembly committee probing the activities of the commission last Thursday and also copied the Attorney General of the Ferderation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
According to the letter, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, chairman senate committee on NDDC, allegedly executed 53 projects, Senator Matthew Uhroghide six projects, James Manager six projects and Sam Anyanwu nineteen projects.
In his letter, Akpabio also fingered the chairman house committee on NDDC, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo in nineteen (19) contracts worth #9 billion inserted into the 2019 NDDC budget.
Akpabio also listed Senator Mutu’s name against 74 projects and others simply identified as Ondo and Edo representatives.
Akpabio addressed the letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who had threatened to drag him before the court if he fails to name the lawmakers that had benefited from NDDC contracts.
“I refer to the resolution of the House passed on the 21st of July 2020 and also forwarded to me on the same day Ref. NASS/HR/LEG/3/36/VOL.II/08 directing me to respond to the content therein within 48hours”, the letter read in part.
In the letter, Akpabio explained that the committee on NDDC did not allow him to provide detailed explanation of his claim and that the two chairmen of the committee in both chambers had adequate knowledge of the contracts.
“I never referred to members of the 9th National Assembly as beneficiaries of the NDDC contracts, as the 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 attached as Annexure ‘A’).
This anomaly was brought to the attention of the Senate Ad-hoc committee investigate a purported financial recklessness by theanagement of the commission in July, 2020, though the outcry was on allegation of missing N40 billion which was totally untrue.
“It has always been known that the two chairmen of the committee on NDDC in both chambers yearly exhibit unusual influence to the exclusion of the committee members and even the management of 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 lists of 19 Nos. old contracts amounting to almost N9 billion after tax, the House of Representatives Committee Chairman on NDDC, Hon. Tunji-Ojo, insisted the IMC of NDDC must pay before 2019 budget details could be released to the commission (see Annexure ‘A’),” the letter read.
It would be recalled that the House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had last week given Akpabio a 48 hours ultimatum to identify lawmakers that are NDDC contractors as he alleged during his testimony before the House Committee on NDDC.
