TheNewsGuru

Tag: NDDC Probe

  • [TNG Analysis] NDDC Probe: Akpabio’s twist of tales spur Reps into action

    [TNG Analysis] NDDC Probe: Akpabio’s twist of tales spur Reps into action

    …insist N81.5bn squandered is the issue
    …tell Nigerians how IMC managed NDDC in 5 months
    …Reps weighing option of going to court
    …there’s need to differentiate between constituency projects attracted by Reps and contractors
    By Emman Ovuakporie
    Peeved by how the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has been twisting his tales of how N81.5billion was guzzled within five months, the House of Representatives has vowed to further dig deeper into the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC matter.
    In this analysis, TheNewsGuru.com in its tradition of getting to the bottom of the matter x-rays the position of the House and Akpabio’s many tales by the moonlight.
    The issue at stake is how the government interventionist body burnt N81.5bn within five months awarding contracts to cronies even outside the shores of the region.
    To this end, the House has summoned the former Akwa Ibom uncommon Governor to appear before the House investigative panel.
    Some lawmakers who spoke to TNG under the condition of anonymity declared that Akpabio is just buying time because he is not addressing the issue at stake.
    One of such lawmakers from the South East said” there’s need to differentiate constituency projects from normal contracts awarded to contractors.
    “It’s our right as lawmakers to attract contracts laced as constituency projects to our various constituencies because that’s how we can be relevant.
    “Publishing names of Reps or senators is not the issue but how Akpabio and his IMC managed the Niger Delta people’s commonwealth.
    Another Lawmaker from the South South geo-political zone also spoke in the same vein that the minister is just playing a game without a direction.
    “When he appears before us we will know how he is going to play the game this time because in his letter he has displayed that he talks from both sides of his mouth.
    The House sensing that the wind is fast blowing wrong signals across Nigeria, through its image maker, Rep Benjamin Kalu on Tuesday issued a statement to put the records straight.
    The House said it’s still weighing the option of taking Akpabio to court but he must come over to face its panelists.
    Read Him:
    Following a motion unanimously adopted by the House, an investigation was ordered into the activities and financial malfeasance of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and its Interim Management Committee (IMC) between the periods of January to May 2020.
    In a coordinated and calculated attempt to distract Nigerians from the on-going investigation, the Minister of NDDC and the leadership of the IMC raised spurious allegations against members of the National Assembly. The Minister claimed under oath that 60% of all the NDDC projects under investigation were awarded to members of the House between the months of January and May 2020.
    Following this disturbing allegation, the leadership of the 9th House issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister to publish a list of the legislators allegedly awarded 60% of the entire projects of NDDC between January and May 2020. Instead of publishing the list for the world to see in the interest of transparency, the Minister in his usual diversionary tactics, chose to send an irrelevant 8-paragraph private letter to the Speaker regarding projects of 2018 which pre-date the 9th House of Representatives and had little to do with the bogus claims he made. The House therefore reiterates that the Minister was given an ultimatum to publish names and not to write a personal letter to the Speaker. The Honourable Minister is hereby cautioned to desist from spinning tales and is invited to go public as instructed.
    Nevertheless, it will interest Nigerians to know that paragraph 3 of the Minister’s letter fully exonerated the 9th Assembly. Also, in paragraph 7, the Minister completely withdrew his previous statement about 60% of the NDDC projects being awarded to members of the 9th Assembly.
    It is also instructive for Nigerians to note that the total number of projects in the 2019 NDDC budget was 5959 out of which 5416 projects were rolled over from 2018, which the 9th Assembly obviously had no influence or control over. Therefore, unable to prove his claims, the Minister presented an ineffectual spreadsheet of only 266 projects out of which about 20 projects were attracted by past members of the National Assembly as constituency projects, not as contractors, but in furtherance of their representative mandate.
    The projects presented in the Minister’s letter are not within the scope of the investigation and do nothing to address the leadership’s ultimatum for him to publish the list of names of the members who he claimed took 60% of NDDC projects from January to May 2020.
    Also, contrary to the mischievous narrative being peddled on the internet, the only mention of the Chairman of the NDDC Committee of the 9th House of Representatives, Rep. Tunji Ojo in that letter, was as to his alleged request for the complete payment of 19 contractors who had approached him with complaints over NDDC’s non-payment for their services. This is however, an allegation which has been completely refuted by Rep. Ojo and for which there is no evidence linking him.
    The one member of the House mentioned in that letter only attracted the project to his federal constituency, in the same manner that the NDDC MD, EDFA, EDP, Chairman etc applied to the Commission for attention to the needs of their people and were obliged. This attraction of projects does not in any way mean that contracts were personally awarded to them.
    Additionally, the letter also listed the names of contract awardees with no evidence linking them to those who attracted the projects to the beneficiary communities. It takes lifting the corporate veil for the directors to be seen and the Corporate Affairs Commission is there to establish who the real owners of the companies are. Until then, it is wrong to attempt to establish a nexus which currently does not exist. The document remains a mere spreadsheet of people who attracted projects to their communities in furtherance of their representative functions.
    Furthermore, the directive to press charges against the Minister has not been lifted by the House as the leadership is busy considering the weight of the Honourable Minister’s letter. If it does not clear the doubt and wrong perception, it will be sent to the court for clearance as the Speaker stated.
    Once again, the letter’s annexures showing 2018 projects have no relevance to what was requested from the Minister because it was outside the scope of his claims, it was also not comprehensive but selective by mentioning only one current member for attracting projects to his constituency and not for receiving contracts. The House is mindful of a letter currently before it where the Minister also applied to attract several projects to his Senatorial Zone during his time at the Senate, does it mean the contracts were awarded to him?
    Nigerians are encouraged to ignore the deflections of the Honourable Minister and continue to ask the right questions as to what happened to the money of the region which has led to a gross disservice to Niger-Deltans. Nigerians should start asking the right questions and demanding the right answers; and the right question remains, “What happened to Nigeria’s ₦81.5billion under the charge of NDDC in the space of 6 months?”
  • [TNG Analysis] NDDC Probe: It’s season of denials as lawmakers claim innocence

    [TNG Analysis] NDDC Probe: It’s season of denials as lawmakers claim innocence

    …Senators Manager, Uroghide, Nwaoboshi absolve selves
    …Urhobos, Ijaws, Itsekiris demand scrapping of IMC
    …Buhari remains unusually silent
    By Emman Ovuakporie
    Since the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio secretly revealed the names of lawmakers allegedly involved in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC contract scams it has been a season of denials.
    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) in this analysis brings to fore how lawmakers in a bid to rubbish Akpabio’s list of alleged contract scammers have been denying their roles in the massive looting of NDDC.
    The situation took a dramatic turn when Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila apparently forgetting that there’s espirit de corps in the parliament ordered Akpabio to submit the names of lawmakers he alleged got most contracts from the interventionist government body.
    Akpabio had alleged during an investigative hearing on July 20 that 60percent of contracts of the body were given to lawmakers.
    This did not go down well with the lawmakers who threatened to sue Akpabio if within 24hours he fails to submit the list.
    The Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris too had in various statements called for the outright scrapping of Akpabio’s Interim Management Committee.
    Sensing the danger ahead, Akpabio denied exonerating the ninth Assembly and listed other assembies including himself who was part of the eighth Assembly.
    Senators Matthew Uroghide, James Manager and Peter Nwaoboshi in different statements denied any form of self enrichment from NDDC contracts.
    TNG will x-ray their various statements below in snippets
    *Akpabio is a serial liar-Sen Nwaoboshi
    *Akpabio is wicked and mischievious -Sen Uroghide
    *I sincerely in the name of God request for proof of evidence-Sen Manager
    The commonality in their various statements is denial as they all demanded for proof of evidence that they were involved.
    The member of the House that his name was very visible and was alleged to have garnered 74 contracts, Hon Nicholas Mutu has remained silent.
    The Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris who are predominantly host communities of crude oil deposits in the Niger Delta Region have called for the scrapping of Akpabio’s IMC.
    In a briefing on Monday in Abuja, the President of Urhobo Leadership Forum, Olorogun Jonathan Esin in his statement demanded for an immediate scrapping of IMC.
    Chief Esin said “In order to bring the rot and looting in the NDDC to an end and reposition it to effectively deliver on its statutory responsibilities, the ULFA hereby recommends as follows:
    “That sensitive positions in the NDDC management, such as the Managing Director/CEO, should henceforth not be given to active partisan political actors.
    “Nevertheless, in light of the exigencies of the moment, the members of the Board earlier screened by the Senate, should be sworn-in without delay to enable the Commission settle quickly into its role,
    “A competent and reputable external audit firm should be engaged after the inauguration of the Board to execute the forensic audit of the Commission including top management officials since the inception of the NDDC.
    “The recommendations of the National Assembly’s investigation of the NDDC Interim Management Committee should be acted upon by the Executive branch of Government without delay,
    “All persons involved in financial embezzlement and misappropriation should face the penalty imposed by law, including forfeiture of improperly acquired wealth,
    “The audited accounts and reports of the NDDC should be undertaken and made available as stipulated by the enabling Act, 46 Government should strengthen the Commission’s financial management and internal control system. For example, in the implementation of the Procurement Act provisions against contract splitting should be rigorously enforced,
    “All major contracts or projects should be handled by reputable contracting firms, preferably in which the Niger Delta indigenes have substantial stakes,
    “Projects locations, completion status and costs should be regularly published on the NDDC portal and such information should be made available to the Niger Delta State Governments and the LGAS,
    “The Local Content of every project should be visibly verifiable.
    “The Commission should concentrate on mega projects with impact across create its own problems.
    “Therefore, this matter should be handled with the seriousness, equity and justice the situation demands so that there is no the Niger Delta area,
    “That NDDC must not be scrapped. The ULFA cautions that such an action will relapse or degeneration into the destructive militancy that predated the establishment of the NDDC.
    In all these developments, President Muhamnadu Buhari has remained unusually silent.
    The only reaction from the presidency is the denial that the IMC had not been scrapped as published in some communications channels last week.
    So far so good on NDDC it has been a gallore of denials.
  • [TNG Analysis] NDDC Probe: Reps send Akpabio’s matter to ‘House Graveyard’ Ethics C’ttee

    [TNG Analysis] NDDC Probe: Reps send Akpabio’s matter to ‘House Graveyard’ Ethics C’ttee

    …how his ‘love’ letter mellowed down reps

    …steps down consideration of probe report

    …the Akpabio matter may be buried at last
    By Emman Ovuakporie
    After his denial that he was not referring to the ninth Assembly as beneficiaries of major contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, the House of Representatives sent Senator Godswill Akpabio’s matter to its graveyard, the Ethics and Privileges Committee of the House.
    ThenNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports that apparently sensing that digging deep into the Akpabio sweeping allegations, the many cans of worms that will be unearthed may rubbish the house, it last Thursday sent the matter to the ethics committee where the matter will be finally buried.
    The House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila had given the embattled Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio a 48hour utimatum to list all lawmakers allegedly involved in contract scams as he announced at the probe of the commission last Monday.
    Expectedly, Akpabio denied implicating the ninth Assembly in a letter he wrote to the House leadership which paved way for a coffin which the Ethics committee will nail and eventually bury.
    The matter once tabled before the committee, it will be watered down and the minister maybe given a clean bill of health.
    The best that could come out of the House ‘graveyard’ is probably an unreserved apology from Akpabio to the House and case closed.
    Also on Thursday, Gbajabiamila in a 13 paragraph statement had threatened to sue Akpabio after the 48hours ultimatum had expired.
    Read Him:
    The House of Representatives has resolved to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, over the allegations that over 60 per cent of contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) went to members of the National Assembly.
    Following Akpabio’s allegations, Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday at plenary issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the minister to publish the names of the members that were given the contracts, the details of the contracts so given, the dates, among others.
    However, Akpabio failed to do so as of Thursday, when the ultimatum expired.
    Thus, at the commencement of plenary on Thursday, Gbajabiamila announced that he had instructed the Clerk to the House to engage the services of a lawyer to institute a criminal complaint of perjury against the minister.
    Gbajabiamila also said that the lawyer would be instructed to explore the possibility of civil defamation suit against the minister.
    Gbajabiamila said: “Last Tuesday I issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to substantiate his allegation that over 60% (sixty per cent) of contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) went to members of the National Assembly. I said then that the Honourable Minister owed it to himself and the country to provide evidence to support these serious allegations.
    “The Honourable Minister has failed to respond to my request. Therefore, I must conclude that his statement intended solely to gaslight the nation to avoid accountability for the evident maladministration and malfeasance in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
    “In my time in the House of Representatives, I have held every leadership position from Minority Whip, through to Minority Leader, Leader of the House and now Speaker.
    “I recognise that the House has not always lived up to the high expectations of the Nigerian people. As much as we still have a lot to do in that regard, I refuse to sit here in good conscience and allow anyone to assassinate the character of the House in an attempt to deflect accountability for their conduct in office. Such mendacity as was witnessed at the public hearing will not be tolerated from anybody no matter how highly placed.
    “This morning, I asked the Clerk of the House of Representatives to engage the services of legal counsel, and instruct them to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the Minister. At the same time, we will instruct counsel to explore the possibility of a civil defamation suit against the Minister.
    “The House of Representatives is a public trust placed in our care for the duration of our term in office. We must prove ourselves worthy of this public trust or risk the censure of history.
    “Therefore, we will resist every attempt to undermine this institution, whether such attempts come from within or from outside. This House will live up to the highest expectations of the Nigerian people. This is our commitment, and we will not fail.”
    Akpabio immediately after this very light threat was issued scurried from where he was hiding and sent a love letter to the House.
    His letter apparently mellowed down members of the House who now resolved during Thursday’s plenary to step down consideration of the House Committee report on the probe.
    The Lawmakers in session also sent the matter to it’s disciplinary Committee, the committee on Ethics and Privileges.
    The matter as it is, has been properly given to the undertaker of the House to complete all the funeral rites of Akpabio’s sweeping allegations leveled against members as NDDC emergency contractors.
    Lilly livered former uncommon Governor of Akwa Ibom has survived the scourge that would have swallowed him.
  • UNDEDSS To Buhari: Ensure “NDDC Forensic Audit is not tainted”

    UNDEDSS To Buhari: Ensure “NDDC Forensic Audit is not tainted”

    …insists it must be speedily carried out

    Following an Emergency Virtual Executive Meeting of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS) on Wednesday July 22, 2020, the coalition of civil society and restive citizens of the region has called upon President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the comprehensive Forensic Audit he ordered the Interim Management Committee IMC to execute, is speedily carried out without tainting the process, or further shortchanging the region.

    “UNDEDSS has repeatedly decried the quantum of corruption that has become the trademark of the NDDC and the governments of the Niger Delta”, declared Mr. Tony I Uranta, UNDEDSS SecretaryGeneral, “and we have been totally in support of the current renewed anti-corruption stance and directives of President Buhari; especially the demand that a comprehensive forensic audit be carried out as directed by Mr. President, and, that those indicted be made to face the full consequences of criminality in courts of law.”

    “The forensic audit”, Uranta continued, “should be carried out by internationally credible organisations, with the representatives of the police, NFIU, EFCC, DSS as observers in the first instance. And the name(s) of the forensic auditors must be made known to Nigerians”.

    UNDEDSS went further to state that it has, for many years, shouted that whilst treacherous indigenes of the region have been very corrupt regarding their dealings with the NDDC (both as NDDC Boards, Executives and Contractors), most of the sleaze has been possible mainly because of the complicity and directives from both members of the National Assembly and the senior actors in the Abuja Executive; and, that the recent unfolding facts are confirming UNDEDSS allegations!

    “We agree that the Senate and House hearings are statutory, but prefer that the NDDC be subjected to the forensic audit ordered by the President”, emphasized the UNDEDSS Scribe, “and, those indicted be treated by the police and anti-corruption institutions as the mere despicable criminals they are, and thus be arraigned before the courts of the land.”

    UNDEDSS affirmed that the coalition is not interested in salacious allegations made by any of the players in the ongoing drama; concluding that all the Niger Delta wants is that justice be done, and stolen loot recovered.