Sen Nwaoboshi Denies Getting NDDC Contracts, Accuses Akpabio of Cheap Blackmail
Moses Oba
Chairman Senate Committee on Niger Delta, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has denied receiving contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Akpabio had in a leaked letter in response to the 48 hours ultimatum by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila to name lawmakers who benefitted from NDDC contracts said 53 contracts were awarded to Nwaoboshi.
In a statement personally signed by Nwaoboshi, the lawmaker who represents Delta North said the allegation leveled against him by Akpabio has no bearing with truth.
The statement a copy of which was obtained by our reporter reads in part:
” _My attention has been drawn to a publication in the Punch Newspaper of Monday, 27th July, 2020, ostensibly quoting the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio whilst responding to the ultimatum given by the Hon. Speaker of the House of Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila, to name the beneficiaries of his bogus claim during his appearance before the House Committee on NDDC investigative hearing that 60% of NNDC jobs were awarded to National Assembly members”.
“In the said publication, Mr Akpabio alleged that I was awarded contracts for 53 NDDC projects. I wish to state unequivocally that this allegation has no bearing with the truth and challenge Mr Akpabio to send so-called list to anti graft and other security agencies if he can substantiate the apparently baseless allegation. Indeed I would have made further comments but for the fact that the matter is currently before two competent courts of law’._
The Senator challenged Akpabio to forward the list to relevant anti- graft agencies in the country to substantiate his allegation.
He said the allegation was however quite consistent with Akpabio’s penchant to blackmail him and divert public attention from the malfeasance by the Interim Management Committee under the supervision of Akpabio as Minister.
“However, suffice it to say that this 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 sen’ous 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 time line”.
Nwaoboshi asked Akpabio and the IMC to focus their energy on explaining to Nigerians how they spent a whopping N81.5b within a period of five months.
He said the questionable expenditures included the sum of N58.5 million paid to IMC as refreshment/logistic for project verification.
He noted the expenses paid to IMC for 2019 and 2020 Budgets defence respectively, at the National Assembly totaling N370.1m; out of which N l43m is for 2020 budget that is yet to be defended or approved by the National Assembly
Nwaoboshi also itemised the reckless expenses paid to IMC and staff to commission only one road, Ogbia Nembe road for N50.5m, an amount he said would have been enough to construct a fresh 1km road
The lawmaker questioned how NDDC under the supervision of Akpabio spent N148 m on conflict resolution in Delta when there was no conflict known to members of the National Assembly representing Delta State.
Nwaoboshi also asked Akpabio and the rest payment of COVID-19 relief to IMC and staff to the sum of N1 .5b.
According to Nwaoboshi, the IMC members got N10m each.
He also listed other outrageous spending by the IMC to include the sum of N41.9m on courtesy visit to River State Governor, N46.6m on Not-Too-Young-To-Run programme, N43m on campaign against electoral violence and a whopping N4.9 billion on Staff medical checkup in six months.
(10) Welfare package to Niger Delta youths for N270m paid to IMC and staff. The youths have denied receiving such welfare payments.
Nwaoboshi alledged further that NDDC made payment to Clear Point Consultancy on rebuttal of media attack against the Honorable Minister of NDA, Godswill Akpabio in the sum of N39.4m.
“This is an incredible and unbelievable expenditure that is currently fueling the media blitz and misinformation by Mr Akpabio and the IMC using Nigerian’s tax payers funds”.
He also accused members of the IMC of paying allowance of N51.8 million every month to the MD and N18 million every month to each member of the committee.
“The above revelations are just a tip of the mind boggling and reckless payments running into billions of naira paid by the [MC members to themselves and expended with the approval of Mr Akpabio on mundane and useless projects that have no developmental impact on the life and livelihood of the Niger Delta people as envisioned by the founding fathers of the NDDC”.
“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”, he said