The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the Minister of Niger
Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio,
has released the list of lawmakers involved the alleged looting of funds from
the Niger Delta Development
Commission (NDDC).
Recall that the former lawmaker had forwarded a letter to
the National Assembly where he noted that he did not
accuse the lawmakers of receiving 60 per cent of the
contracts for NDDC.
However, the part where the minister stated the names were not
read on the floor of the house but were in the letter forwarded by the minister
to the National Assembly.
The National Youth Council of Nigeria who released the document
to the public in Abuja on Sunday expressed disappointment that the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, refused to disclose the list
of federal lawmakers who benefitted from the contracts awarded by the (NDDC).
According to the document, Akpabio listed Nwaoboshi’s name
against 53 projects which included, Emergency Repairs of Asue Street, Owa Phase
2, Emergency Repairs of ldumuogbe Road via Ojemaye, Emergency Repairs of
Otolokpo College Road, Otololkpo, and Emergency Repairs of Police lshu Ani Ukwu
Road, Issele Uku
“They also included Emergency Repairs
of old Sapele Agbor Road, Obiaruku, Emergency Repairs of Ehwerhe Obada Road
Agbarho Road, Emergency Repairs of Hon. Ifeanyi Eboigbe Street Boji Boji
Owa/Goodwill Street, Owa Alero, and Emergency Repairs of Ahiama Okwu to Obuocha
Okwu among others.”
“Also the Minister listed Mutu’s name
against 74 projects which included various emergency road projects in Delta,
Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.”
“Other lawmakers that Akpabio listed
projects against are, Senator Mathew Urhoghide (6), James Manager (6), Sam
Anyanwu (19), and others simply identified as Ondo and Edo reps.”
The President of the council, Solomon Adodo, while speaking with
newsmen on Sunday said, “Mr
Speaker did not do us justice when he did not disclose to the National Assembly
that the list of the beneficiaries he demanded had been disclosed and attached
to the letter sent to him.”
“Gbajabiamila’s decision to cover up
his colleagues is unfair to the fight against corruption, quest for transparency,
and to the commonwealth of our nation.”
“We, therefore, urge Mr Speaker, Femi
Gbajabiamila, to resign for covering up for a set of people who had erred and
breached the rules of the contract.”
“All the National Assembly members
who benefitted from the contracts without executing them should be prosecuted
to serve as a deterrent to those who may want to follow a similar path.”
“It is a clear case of organised
crime to have individuals who benefitted from illegality now rising to probe
the fact that their illegality is being exposed.”
“We call on all the anti-graft
agencies and security agencies to, in line with the directive of President
Muhammadu Buhari, immediately proceed and go ahead with their investigation of
the matter.”
The group noted that they are in full support of the forensic
audit instituted by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs because it had exposed
those who had benefitted in the corruption that had festered in the NDDC.
In the document displayed by the Youths Council, Akpabio was quoted as having said that his letter became necessary because “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 Assembly 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,” Akpabio
reportedly stated.
Akpabio’s letter as released by the Youth Council further
read: “To show you some typical
examples, herewith attached are documents showing nature of contracts amount of
such contracts (in some cases), date of awards and beneficiaries some were
awarded to the two chairmen of both committees in the House of Representatives
and the Senate, respectively, serving at the period of the awards (Annexures
‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’).”
The council condemned the Minister for sending the letter to the
National Assembly and not making the document forwarded to the house public. The
contracts were mainly for road construction, reconstruction rehabilitation
within the nine Niger Delta States.
Akpabio letter which was also copied to the Attorney-General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, 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″
“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 Assembly 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 the
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’).”
“To show you some typical examples,
herewith attached are documents showing nature of contracts amount of such
contracts (in some cases), date of awards and beneficiaries some were awarded
to the two chairmen of both committees in the House of Representatives and the
Senate, respectively, serving at the period of the awards (Annexures ‘B’, ‘C’
and ‘D’). However, due to the 48 hours notice, the forensic auditors could not
sift through the thousands of files in their possession to provide more.”
“The above explanation would have
been made if the investigating committee did not shut me out from responding to
the abuses on me by the lady representative called Boma.”
“May I assure Mr Speaker that as a
former Minority Leader of the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I
shall forever promote the ideals of the. National Assembly as an institution.
Hence. I would not make the attached documents public since I obtained the
documents from the lead forensic auditors in confidence (find attached
Annexures ‘E’ and ‘F’ is my request to the lead forensic auditors and their
response).”
“Permit me to explain that any
reference to 50 per cent or 60 per cent during the investigative hearing was in
answer to a question by an honourable member of the committee as to whether or
not, a medical doctor could act as Executive Director Projects within the
confines of the NDDC Act 2000. I answered in the affirmative, pointing out that
the greatest project in the world today is COVlD-19 pandemic, which is medical
in nature. Furthermore, I am made to understand that 50 to 60 per cent of NDDC
yearly budgets are medical in nature. Therefore, it is fitting for a medical
doctor to act as Executive Director Projects in these trying times.”
“Please accept, sir, the assurances
of my esteemed regards and do pass my explanation to my colleagues in the 9th
Assembly who probably misunderstood my assertion.”
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