TheNewsGuru

Tag: NDDC

  • Reps to sue Akpabio for perjury, defamation as minister back tracks

    Reps to sue Akpabio for perjury, defamation as minister back tracks

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio on Thursday ate the humble pie as he denied accusing National Assembly members of being major beneficiaries of contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    In spite of his denial, the House of Representatives resolved to sue him for perjury and slander.

    Perjury is a criminal act of lying on oath in an official proceeding while slander is making a false statement that damages a person’s reputation.

    Akpabio, while testifying before the probe of malfeasance in the NDDC on Tuesday, sensationally made the allegation.

    He said: “Who are the greatest beneficiaries? It’s you, people, now … I just told you that we have records to show that most of the contracts of NDDC are given to members of the National Assembly…The two chairmen can explain to you.”

    The video clips showing Akpabio making the claims are still trending online.

    With the expiration of the 48-hour ultimatum given to him by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila to name the beneficiary-lawmakers, the contracts and their locations, Akpabio, a former senator, made a U-turn in a letter to the House.

    Read Also: PHOTOS: NDDC Acting MD slumps during probe
    When plenary kicked off on Thursday, Gbajabiamila notified the lawmakers of the letter, saying he had already instructed clerk of the House, Patrick Giwa, to engage the services of lawyers to initiate the perjury proceedings against the minister for failing to publish the list as demanded.

    He said the House will also initiate civil proceedings against the minister, adding that he will not allow anybody to tarnish the image of its members.

    He said: “Last Tuesday, I issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the minister to substantiate his allegation that over 60 percent of contracts awarded by the NDDC went to members of the National Assembly. I said then that the minister owed it to himself and the country to provide evidence to support these serious allegations.

    “The minister has failed to respond to my request. Therefore, I must conclude that his statement was intended solely to gaslight the nation to avoid accountability for the evident maladministration and malfeasance in the NDDC.

    “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 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.

    “We will resist every attempt to undermine this institution, whether such attempts come from within or from outside.”

    In his letter, which Gbajabiamila read on the floor of the House, Akpabio said as a former Minority Leader of the Senate, he holds the legislature in high esteem.

    The letter reads in part: “I refer to the resolution of the House passed on the 21st of July 2020 and forwarded to me on the same day, directing me to respond to the content therein within 48 hours. I hereby respond as follows:

    “Investigating committee on NDDC refused or neglected to give me the opportunity to explain that reference to most NDDC contracts yearly being awarded since 2001 from the records allegedly given to members of the National Assembly were done without the knowledge of the alleged beneficiaries (whatever that means. The Speaker chipped in).

  • Senate wants NDDC IMC to refund N4.923bn alleged illegal payments to staff, contractors

    Senate wants NDDC IMC to refund N4.923bn alleged illegal payments to staff, contractors

    The Senate on Thursday called on the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to refund the N4.923 billion payments, made to staff and contractors in breach of the procurement process.

    It said that the refund should be made to the NDDC’s Account with immediate effect.

    The resolution of the Senate was sequel to the adoption of recommendations of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee, investigating the alleged misappropriation of N40 billion by the current IMC.

    The recommendation of the committee was presented to the Senate by the Chairman, Sen. Adetumbi (APC Ekiti).

    A breakdown of the refund included Overseas Travel to the United Kingdom N85.7million, Scholarship grants N105.5 milliion, Union Members’ trip to Italy N164.2 million.

    Other refunds to be made to the NDDC’s Account by the IMC are: payment made for Lassa Fever Kit, N1.96 billion; payment for Public Communication valued at N1.12 billion, and COVID-19 fund, N1.49 billion.

    The Senate also approved the recommendation that all expenditures on historical contracts and obligations like hotels, court judgment among others be refunded, as the payments were not provided for in the budget.

    The recommendations approved by the Senate also indicated that henceforth, the NDDC should report directly to President Muhammadu Buhari.

    It also recommendeded that the President should dissolve the IMC and set up a board for the commission.

    The Senate recommended that oversight of the forensic audit should be transferred to the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, to ensure transparency.

    It urged the Federal Government to appoint a renowned auditor to supervise the forensic audit.

    It recommended the strengthening of the NDDC’s procurement department through appropriate staff engagement, by appointing staff with procurement chartered status, improved staff training among other policies on procurement process.

    Similarly, the Senate recommended a review of the corporate social responsibility of the NDDC, adding that it was difficult to find a correlation between the Niger Delta community development and the cash invested in the zone.

    According to the upper legislative chamber, the continued cash injection in the Niger Delta has not worked under the various IMCs.

    The Senate harped on the need for government to intervene, by stepping down the IMC and properly consititute a board with specific mandate, to address the pains of the Niger Delta people.

  • N40bn NDDC probe: Reps step down consideration of report

    N40bn NDDC probe: Reps step down consideration of report

    The House of Representatives on Thursday stepped down consideration of its reports on the alleged N40 billion irregular expenditures in the Niger Delta Commission (NDDC) investigation.

    This followed an observation raised by the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa) at plenary on Thursday.

    Fulata observed that the House Committee on NDDC was yet to submit the report for onward distribution to all members before consideration in line with parliamentary practices.

    He moved that the consideration be stepped down to when the report had been made available to all the members.

    The committee held a four-day investigative hearing on the alleged irregular expenditures and laid the report before the house at the plenary.

    The committee’s recommendations as laid before the house for consideration are as follows that these gross violations should be reported to the Anti-Graft agencies for further investigation, prosecution and recovery;

    (ii) Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Management is requested to seek a refund of N19.7million from Olumuyiwa Bashiru & Co and report back to the House with a proof of compliance latest 45 days from the adoption of this recommendation;

    (iii) That the Project Monitoring Department should carry out an appraisal of the extent of work done so far by Clear Point Communications Limited and quantify same in monetary value against the scale of fees in the media industry and pro-rate the payment while the remainder should be refunded;

    (iiii) Refer to Anti-Graft Agencies to investigate the contract payments in order to ascertain the level of infractions and prosecute violators accordingly;

    (v) That the total sum made (paid) to the Acting Managing Director, the Executive Directors and other Directors of NDDC to attend overseas graduation be refunded and failure to do so, immediately the anti-graft agencies should commence investigation, prosecution and recovery;

    (vi) that a scrutiny of the medical treatment bills/insurance payments made by the commission to ascertain their appropriateness especially given that the commission has health insurance and referral partnerships and it is still making payments for staff medical treatments.

    These cases should be referred to the anti-graft agency for diligent investigation, prosecution and possible recovery;

    (vii) That the court proceedings and the court judgement be made available to the House within 14 days and failure to do so, he should be reported to the anti-graft agencies for further investigation and possible recovery;

    (viii) That the advice of the Commission’s in-house estate values should be adhered to in line with the provisions of the NDDC corporate policy and sections 16(1)(b), and 57(4) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007. Any amount standing in excess of 10.5 billion naira should be refunded and the anti-graft agency should immediately investigate the procurement processes for possible prosecution;

    (ix) Refer to the Anti-Graft Agencies to investigate the violations of the extant laws, sanction and prosecute culpable officials;

    (x) That the NDDC and contractors did not provide proof of contract performance and contract documents; we therefore recommend that the contract and payment made to AHR Global Standard Services be thoroughly investigated by the anti-graft agencies to ascertain value for money and performance as they did not comply with the covid-19 emergency procurement guidelines of the BPP;

    (xi) Given that the NDDC did not provide all the requested contractual documents, it is difficult to determine contract performance and value for money. We therefore recommend that these contracts:

    (a) Coordinate Global Services – N551.08million;

    (b) PSI International Co Ltd – N427.8million;

    (c) Delta Pride & Gold Energy – N155.5million;

    (xii) That the matter be referred to the Anti-Graft Agencies to investigate the violations of the extant laws, sanction and prosecute culpable officials and contractors;

    (xiii) That these infractions/donations which are outside the mandate and above the approval threshold of NDDC be thoroughly investigated by the Anti-Graft Agencies to ascertain if the states actually received the stated funds (see detail on page 65), and the police the COVID-19 Kits. Also, the management of NDDC should be sanctioned for violating the constitution and other extant laws;

    (xiiii) That the NDDC should rationalise the cleaning service companies to not more than 12 (1 per state and 3 for the head office) and a conscious reduction in the total amount spent for cleaning services to reflect the financial mood of the country that call for prudence at all levels. Compliance should be communicated within 60 days from the adoption of this recommendation;

    (xv) That the Anti-Graft Agencies should investigate the circumstances leading to the refund of N320million for the reconstruction of the hospital and apply relevant sanctions for culpability in the violation of any extant laws;

    (xvi) That based on Sections 12(1) and 12(1)(a) of the NDDC Act 2000 Dr. Cairo Godson Ojuogboh is unqualified and unfit to occupy the Office of Executive Director, Projects of the NDDC and should be discharged forthwith from that position; and

    (xvii) recall of all affected employees.

    The recommendations would have to be considered by the House and come up with a resolution which will be its position on the NDDC investigations.

  • Harrysong knocks Nigerians doing skits about corruption amid NDDC saga

    Harrysong knocks Nigerians doing skits about corruption amid NDDC saga

    Reggae Blues crooner, Harrison Okiri better known as Harrysong has expressed his dissatisfaction at Nigerians who do skits about corruption.

     

    In a video clip posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, the versatile singer called out such people for joking about an issue that should be of concern to every Nigerian.

     

    “People, this is not funny. This is not something to laugh about, do comedy skits with or trend with. People are on national TV calling themselves politicians and leaders of Nigeria mentioning huge amount of money they have stolen and are still stealing which ought to have changed this country for the better,” he said in the video clip.

    “The country is in a huge debt. President Muhammadu Buhari is still borrowing, yet people here are still stealing and Nigerians are making skits and laughing about it.

     

    “By now, we are supposed to be on the streets protesting that we don’t want this anymore and clamour for change in the system.”

     

    Harrysong called on Buhari to modify his strategies to governance, noting his administration has performed below the expectations of Nigerians.

     

    “You’re seeing the reason why we are in this situation. And please Buhari, all your strategies have failed us, please change them,” he added.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CC9SBsvJ2kG/

     

  • NDDC: Senate panel calls for dissolution of IMC

    NDDC: Senate panel calls for dissolution of IMC

    The Senate ad hoc committee set up to unravel the alleged financial recklessness by the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission has recommended its dissolution.

    The panel also recommended that the NDDC should be returned to the Presidency for direct supervision.

    It also said the monitoring and advisory bodies recognised by the Act which established the NDDC, should be inaugurated immediately.

    It lamented the extra-budgetary spending by the IMC which it noted was affecting the people of the Niger Delta.

    It noted that the Ministry of Niger Delta has no capacity to implement the forensic audit and therefore demanded that the Auditor General of the Federation should supervise the forensic audit for transparency and efficiency.

    It also said the Auditor General should appoint internationally renowned audit experts to carry out the exercise.

    It added that the N1.4bn spent on COVID -19 by the IMC should be refunded to the NDDC account.

    The senators are currently debating the report of the panel at the end of which the Senate would make a decision on it.

  • (TNG Analysis) NDDC Probe: A case of corruption fighting back

    (TNG Analysis) NDDC Probe: A case of corruption fighting back

    … as Gbajabiamila’s ultimatum to Akpabio to expose Lawmakers involved in contract scams expire today

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila’s ultimatum to embattled Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to expose lawmakers neck-deep in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC alleged contract scams will expire today.

    The TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) in this analysis x-rays the implications and the likely outcome of what will happen if Akpabio dares to expose his former colleagues.

    Already agog in various social media networks is a list of contracts allegedly awarded to Akpabio while serving as a Senator in 2017.

    While announcing the ultimatum on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila had openly declared that he has never executed any contract in the heavily looted NDDC.

    His announcement is a clear indication that he is going to allow his colleagues to face the music if they are caught napping as Akpabio may first and foremost cut off his own head before descending on his former colleagues.

    But the question is, will Akpabio expose lawmakers when he knows they will ensure that his political career ends?

    In this battle of wits, the House allowed the NDDC Committee proceedings to go smoothly by asking the substantive chairman, Olubunmi Ojo to step aside.

    This development has been a rarity in the House of Representatives in the past sixteen years.

    Akpabio failed to read in between the lines that this singular development was an indication that a battle line has been drawn.

    He went ahead to tell Nigerians that lawmakers were the greatest beneficiaries of the contracts of the commission.

    This action drew the flak from the lawmakers who saw this as an effrontery from an aide to the President.

    If he fails to provide the lists of the beneficiaries today, Akpabio may swim alone in his own stew unless he has conclusive evidence and enough documents to back his sweeping allegations.

    The probe panel may continue to do its work, its recommendations will be passed with the speed of light and the entire House, Senate inclusive will demand for Akpabio’s head.

    President Muhamnadu Buhari will use him as his anti-corruption crusade poster to cleanse the past five years of selective prosecution of individuals.

    In all these, it may just be a win-win situation for the Nigerian parliament as Akpabio may be used as the sacrificial lamb.

  • NDDC is corruption unlimited, and seems to have been backed by president’s supremacy – Godwin Etakibuebu

    NDDC is corruption unlimited, and seems to have been backed by president’s supremacy – Godwin Etakibuebu

    Godwin Etakibuebu

    The Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC] was established about Twenty Years ago, as an Interventionist Organisation to bring succor and smile to the faces of all those from the Region that is regarded as the “Goose that lays the Golden Eggs”. Prior to the creation; being a replacement for the Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission [OMPADEC], the Niger Delta people, though producing nothing less than 95% of the Nigerian wealth, lived in the most diminished, deprived, disgraced, dehumanised rejected and unequalled abject squalor, amongst human races of the earth.

    Yet, the people that lived on that geographical piece of land, which produced the wealth that made General Yakubu Gowon; then Military Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, to pronounce publicly that “Nigeria has no problem with money but how to spend the money”, were reduced to substandard human being by the same Nation-State that took their wealth away from them.

    In return, the people got opprobrium, shame, disgrace, brutalization; packaged in unrivalled abject poverty, from the Nigerian State – a State of strange bedfellows, nebulously and fraudulently brought together by the selfish interests of some “interlopers from across the Sea”.
    Twenty Years after introducing the NDDC to the region, the lifestyle of the people of the Niger Delta have not improved an inch; but instead, they are “closest to the bottom sunk of Hell”, with its blazing furnace of torment; a journey not only made possible, but actively assisted, by the conspiracy of Federal Institutions’ leadership.

    This is however not the kernel of this discussion, so we need to quickly return to the challenging issue at hand. And that is how the NDDC has metamorphosed into one of the greatest Homes of corruption ever discussed in Nigeria. I mentioned “one of the greatest Homes” deliberately because if many other national institutions in Nigeria; like the NNPC, are considered for corruption evaluation, NDDC may be returned as a child-play.

    Decoding the journey of NDDC within the past few years shall suffice in looking for the ingredients that “epitomize corruption at its best” in Nigerian history. Let us take the journey therefore from June of last year – 2019, after President Muhammadu Buhari had been sworn-in for a second tenure, and he started making appointments of men and women that will help him to run a corruption-free government.

    Please, we should not forget that we are limiting the analyses around NDDC only, as there are other days for other organisations.

    President Buhari nominated Senator Godswill Akpabio, asked the Nigerian Senate to confirm him, as he did with all others, and thereafter appointed him as the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Ministry, just as he did with others into different Ministries.

    The first assignment the “uncommon reformer” [that’s Akpabio pet name], or the man with the slogan of “what money cannot do, more money will do it” did, without making noise about it, was to write a letter to the Chief of Staff to the President [then, late Abba Kyari – himself an omnipotent personality], asking the latter to help him transfer the NDDC from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to his ministry – Ministry of Niger Delta. Akpabio’s good friend in the person of the Chief of Staff prosecuted the request in a jiffy. Within weeks the office of the SGF lost supervision of the NDDC to the Ministry of Niger Delta – courtesy of the Chief of Staff.

    Senator Akpabio smiled victoriously as a major spoil had been slashed and kept in his “economic kitty”. Time for him to move to the second level of the battle came. And this coincided with when the President – the same Muhammadu Buhari, nominated members, 16 together, for the confirmation of the Nigerian Senate for appointment into the Board of the NDDC. On the day of confirmation at the Senate, 15 out of the 16 nominated appeared for screening and the Senate did not waste time in confirming the 15 that came.

    Amongst them were a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr Pius Odubu, who was confirmed as the Chairman of the Board, and Chief Bernard Okumagba, confirmed as Managing Director. The Senate happily wrote to inform the President of having confirmed all his nominees but one, and that was the one that did not show up for the exercise. The name of the missing nominee is Joy Nunieh; a very top member [like all others anyway] from Ogoni Land in Rivers State. Her personality’s absence at the confirmation became the first major twist in the tale of absurdity, which was fully arranged beforehand by Akpabio and his co-travelers; those powerful men of uncommon means, in the Presidential Villa. This is how the drama unfolded.

    While the Senate was complying with the presidential requests of confirmation in the Red Chamber, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, was pre-occupied in putting together an Interim Management Committee [IMC] to run the NDDC in place of a Board of Directors. Akpabio was too fast to wait for any Board of Directors, which he never participated in picking its members, to come and do his bidding.

    He had earlier thrown some noisy stones into the market place of the Presidential Villa, shouting about the highest level of corruption at the NDDC and the need for the “place to be sanitized through a presidential order”. The President had bought into this scheme and had instructed of “total forensic audit of the NDDC” before those confirmed for the Board left the Senate. It could be that the President saw the bigger picture of Akpabio’s scheme or maybe, he did not see it.

    But whichever and however, the President backed Akpabio in dumping the confirmed Board Members [he never inaugurated the Board but instead “dissolved a Board that was never inaugurated”] in favour of the IMC. In Nigeria, wonders, albeit of absurdity, shall never come to an end.

    The Nigerian Senate shouted to the top of their roof in Abuja, while stakeholders in the Niger Delta region danced almost naked into the market square place of sensibility. Both Groups tried in vain and the vanity of their functions downed on them when Akpabio told a bewildered world that President Buhari has approved the appointment of a three-man Interim Management Committee; made up of Joy Nuinieh [Acting Managing Director], Cairo Ojougboh [Acting Executive Director – Projects] and Ibanga Bassey [Acting Executive Director – Finance and Administration.

    Take note, please that the Acting Managing Director was the only nominated Board Member that refused to show up for Senate confirmation – evidence that she knew where she belongs ab ignition.

    Permit me to re-emphasize that all efforts by the Senate to insist upon the inauguration of the confirmed Board Members were resisted. The Senate argued that the law does not recognise the interim arrangement as a duly confirmed Board was already in place. The Senate President further stated that the Senate would only entertain budget presentations from the Board they had confirmed.

    However, in a new twist of events, the President wrote a letter to the Senate on December 29, 2019, informing them that the newly confirmed Board has been disbanded and confirmed that the Interim Management Committee has been put in place to oversee the forensic audit of the former Board’s activities. The letter stated that once the audit is completed, the presidency would compose a new Board of the Commission for confirmation by the Senate.

    Meanwhile, the Minister and his three-man IMC unleashed reign of terror; edifice decorated in diadems of absolute corruption on the NDDC, until things fell apart between the Acting Managing Director [Joy Nuinieh] and her Minister – Senator Godswill Akpabio.

    No one really knows how and why the pair fell out. Neither of them treated us to the high drama we are currently witnessing when the going was good. We were not told that they were meeting in hotels and slapping themselves. Nor were we informed that illegal contracts were being approved and that a looting spree had commenced in the Commission.

    But on Wednesday 19th of February, 2020, Femi Adeshina; the President’s spokesman, announced that the President has expanded the IMC and appointed Kemebradikumo Pondei to replace Joy Nuinuih as the Commission’s new Acting Managing Director. Two more people; Caroline Nagbo and Cecilia Akintomide, had been appointed to join the IMC, according to Femi Adeshina.

    In midst of all these confusions, the President had just added another instruction, echoed in a very powerful and authoritative voice – to wit: “a coordinated acceleration of the probes so that the final probe report can be submitted to me”. Well said, or so it looks, and that is until we interrogate some salient elements that would surely challenge the smooth route of fulfilling the latest instruction.

    Who shall now coordinate the probes? Is it going to be the National Assembly? Shall it be remaining within the purview of the Honourable Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, the same “uncommon reformer” former governor of Akwa Ibom, who doubles with the acronym of “what money cannot do, more money will do it”, and who saw the need of annexing the Niger Delta Development Commission from the Presidency in the first instance with ease of conspiracy?

    Or shall the President be leaving acceleration of the assignment for the Interim Management Committee – a nebulously and unconstitutionally package which he [the President] approved ab initio? Who shall bell the cats; the many contending cats in this continuously boiling rough waters of corruption.

    I only hope we are able to follow the narration of this submission and be able, at least for now, to sift the eatables from the poisons of this overcooked delicacy in this palace of dis-honourability?

    Godwin Etakibuebu; a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
    Contact:
    Website: www.godwintheguru.com
    Twitter: @godwin_buebu
    Facebook: Godwin Etakibuebu
    Facebook Page: Veteran Column
    Phone: +234-906-887-0014 – short messages only.
    You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].

  • BREAKING: Gbajabiamila gives Akpabio 48 hours to publish full details of lawmakers who got NDDC contracts

    BREAKING: Gbajabiamila gives Akpabio 48 hours to publish full details of lawmakers who got NDDC contracts

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has given the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio 48 hours to publish the full details of lawmakers who got contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Gbajabiamila gave the ultimatum on Tuesday during plenary while reacting to a point of order moved by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.

    Elumelu urged the House to invite the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio to mention those who got contracts from the NDDC.

    Reacting, Gbajabiamila said, “I’ve never once collected contracts from the NDDC and I know I can speak for many other members.

    “I hereby call on the minister to within 24-48 hours to publish the names, contracts, date and unveil the companies of the 60 per cent projects that were given to the National Assembly.

    “The Minister owes it to himself, committee, Niger Delta and the people of Nigeria to publish details of those who have been given contracts”.

    He further said failure by the Minister to provide the full details of the beneficiaries would leave the House with no other option than to invoke the full wrath of the law.

  • TNG Analysis: Reps probe of forensic looting of NDDC, final killing of Niger-Delta commonwealth

    TNG Analysis: Reps probe of forensic looting of NDDC, final killing of Niger-Delta commonwealth

    …will Nigerians see the cttee’s final report?

    … spending N122m on condolences is offensive
    …N1.3bn on palliatives is an insult on Niger Deltans sensibilities
    … a peep at Rep Kingsley Chinda’s observation
    By Emman Ovuakporie
    The signals were too visible to perceive that something was really amiss from day one that the former uncommon Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio inaugurated the Interim Management Committee, IMC.
    TheNewsGuru.com TNG had on October 29th last year reported how Senator Akpabio within five hours that President Muhammadu Buhari’s letter was read on the floor of the Senate, inaugurated another interim board to run the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
    Ignoring the IMC the Senate, Akpabio went ahead to confirm the 14 nominees of President Muhammadu Buhari but he (the uncommon Governor) had his way insisting that the forensic audit proposed by the president supersedes every other wisdom displayed by 109 wise men.
    The resultant of the rushed IMC is the squandering of N81billion within a space of six months, plundering the Niger Delta people into another wave of poverty.
    The region that lays the golden eggs that is the live wire of Nigeria’s economic survival still has a very high rate of poverty while its resources are squandered by those adjudged to be leaders of the region.
    Rep Kingsley Chinda’s Observation:
    In a statement issued last Monday, the leader of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Federal Legislature aptly captured the rot associated with Akpabio’s IMC in part.
    Read Him:

    There is something more sinister going on that the behaviour of Daniel Pondei seeks to mask. Never in the history of the NDDC has corruption reached a peak as it has today.

    According to revelations already in the media, N81bn was squandered alone between January-June, 2020, with an individual paid $1m from NDDC in what appears as forensic looting of the NDDC coffers; yet, the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC rather than be sober and repentant, had the effrontery to walk out of the Committee charged to look at the books of the Commission. This is unacceptable.

    All these dramas are moves to change the current narrative of bad, corrupt, and inept governance and turn the attention of Nigerians away from the main issues of unpardonable deceit and deep-rooted corruption that bedevil this government.

    This is a clarion call on the Leadership of NASS to take back its independence from the Executive and desist from making such statements as “I will approve whatever GMB asks for”; “better to be a rubber stamp and get what we want “. The institution of the National Assembly, made up of its members, is higher and bigger than the members themselves; the institution of the National Assembly remains the symbol of democracy; and its independence should not be negotiated under any circumstance whatsoever.

    We cannot as Members of the PDP Caucus, watch from the side-lines as if nothing is happening when the tenets of democracy are being subverted and the Constitution desecrated. The snub of the National Assembly by the Executive and the unconscionable and obsequious behaviours of appointees of Executive arm have to stop forthwith.

    And the man fainted at Reps investigative hearing same day.

    The drama that unfolded at the Reps probe of the forensic and scientific looting of NDDC in a long time will remain indelible in the hearts of Nigerians.

    How media consultancy contracts were awarded to an engineering firm and an advance fee of N.7bn paid to a company that does not know the definition of the word news.

    A Medicare job was given to a transport company that does not know how to diagnose ailments all in the name of looting the commonwealth of a zone that has been relegated to the background despite the enormous resources being tapped from its communities on a daily basis.

    N1.3bn spent on palliatives for staff of the commission to cushion the effects of Covid-19 in a region where citizens live below $1 per day.

    The most annoying is the N122m spent on condolences. Who did they pay condolence message to or better still could it be that every burial ceremony in the nine states of the commission monies are doled out to individuals.

    Reps Probe:

    To let Nigerians know that the House of Reps will be transparent in handling the probe, Chairman of the committee Hon Olubunmi Ojo stepped aside before Professor Pondei started his submission on Monday but midway the man fainted.

    Akpabio the uncommon Governor spoke from both sides of his mouth after taking his oath but tactically avoided signing the oath form he filled.

    Pondei did not adequately address how N1.3bn was distributed to staff of the commission whether it was a bazaar or bonanza for staff.

    The former MD Joi Nunieh had told Nigerians how she refused to sign a N10bn bonanza and church bazaar for Christmas last December in a zone where eating rice is seen as exclusive for the rich.

    The House of Reps by now should have enough evidence to bury all those that plundered the commonwealth of Niger Deltans but wait a minute, will this report not go the way many reports and many NASS Resolutions were thrown into archival dustbins.

    This is one report that must be made public and those indicted should be made to face the long arm of the law.

  • NDDC boss collapsed under weight of corruption – PDP

    NDDC boss collapsed under weight of corruption – PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said the dramatic collapse of the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Daniel Pondei while being grilled by the House of Representatives further underscored the weight of corruption that has bedeviled the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

    In a statement on Monday by the spokesman of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it was obvious the embattled NDDC boss collapsed under the weight and shame of overwhelming collective guilt brought on him by exposure of massive corruption being perpetrated by NDDC officials.

    The statement said: “It is revealing that Pondei could go no further in the face of scathing revelations of direct pillaging of resources meant for the development and welfare of the Niger Delta people, in an unbridled corruption racket, in which the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, also stands accused.

    Read Also: PHOTOS: NDDC Acting MD slumps during probe
    “It is rather curious that Prof. Pondei slumped after lawmakers demanded that he offers explanations on the contentious payment of billions of naira, alleged unbudgeted sums, to certain companies by the NDDC.

    “This is particularly as Nigerians recall that the embattled NDDC boss had, last week, stalled proceedings by challenging the legislators and walking out on the House of Representatives investigative panel.”

    The PDP restated its call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately suspend the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio as well as disband the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC) for the ongoing probe to yield any credible results.

    The party urged President Buhari to note that the people of the Niger Delta region, who are being deprived of their welfare, are following the development with keen interest.