The Senators named by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, of taking contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have denied the allegations and have asked him to give an audit on how the commission spent N81.5 billion, rather than trading blames.
The lawmakers in upper chamber’s response was contained in separate reactions on Monday, July 27.
Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Chairman, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and Senator James Manager, insist they did not take any contracts from the NDDC between 2017 and 2019; as claimed by Akpabio
Nwaoboshi in particular challenged the minister to send the list to anti-graft; as well as other security agencies if he can substantiate the allegation regarding the award of the NDDC contracts.A
“The unsubstantiated allegation is in line with Mr. Akpabio’s well-known agenda to continuously blackmail me so as to keep diverting public attention away from the serious mismanagement of the NDDC by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) under his supervision and under the guise of a phantom forensic audit that has no operating timeline,” Nwaoboshi said.
He advised the minister and members of the IMC to explain to Nigerians how they spent N81.5 billion within five months.
“Mr. Akpabio and his IMC should apologise to the Niger Delta people in particular and Nigerians in general; for this grand wastage arising from their crass incompetence.
“As a realist, I am confident that a day will come when Mr. Akpabio and his IMC will have a date with the law,” Nwaoboshi said.
Manager stated that his tenure as chairman of the committee ended in 2015.
“Ever since then I have never visited NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt or any of its branches.
“NDDC never awarded any contract to any company owned by me. I do not know of any company owned by me that has ever gone into bidding for government jobs anywhere in the world.
“Those who are alleging to defame me must be aware of the consequences,” he said.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, described the allegation by Akpabio, that some federal lawmakers received contracts from the NDDC, as unfounded and sheer blackmail.
According to him, the submission of Akpabio is cheap blackmail which cannot be tenable anywhere in Nigeria.
He said: “Senators are representatives of the people in the legislature and we have the power of appropriation. Projects allocated to us are put in the various ministries and agencies of government where they can be fully executed.
“Those of us from the Niger Delta region can lobby for some of the projects to be put in their various constituencies.
“That does not mean that the money for their execution was given to senators. We don’t touch money here but influence projects to be executed in our constituencies.
“When that is done; the executive arm of government will advertise for contractors to bid for them, and award them, following due process.”
