Monday, July 27, 2020

Akpabio names lawmakers on NDDC contracts’ list


The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs , Godswill Akpabio, has linked some members of the National Assembly to some contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission , The PUNCH has learnt .
Akpabio, however , did not state if the lawmakers were directly awarded the contracts or they nominated the projects under their Zonal Intervention Projects , also known as constituency projects.
The former Chairman , House of Representatives Committee on the NDDC, Mr Nicholas Mutu , who represents the Bomadi /Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State , is among those linked by the minister with contracts.
The minister listed Mutu ’ s name against 74 projects, including various emergency road projects in Delta , Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers states .
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on February 3 , 2020 , arraigned Mutu before Justice Folashade Giwa - Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged abuse of office and fraud involving about N 320m .
Akpabio also linked the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs , Senator Peter Nwaoboshi ( Delta - North) , with 53 projects, which included emergency repairs of Asue Street , Owa Phase 2 ; ldumuogbe Road via Ojemaye ; Otolokpo College Road , Otolokpo ; and the Police lshu Ani Ukwu Road , Issele Uku .
Other lawmakers that Akpabio listed projects against are Senator Matthew Urhoghide ( Edo - South ) , six ; James Manager ( Delta - South ) , six ; Samuel Anyanwu ( Imo -West , 8 th Senate) , 19 ; and others simply identified as Ondo and Edo Reps .
The minister, however , did not provide the cost of the projects listed against the lawmakers’ names , while the cost of contracts given to non - lawmakers had costs of various projects attached to them .
Our correspondents also observed that contracts listed against the names of the lawmakers were not up to 60 per cent of the 266 on the list provided by Akpabio.
Non - National Assembly members are also on the list .
It was further observed that the minister copied to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice , Abubakar Malami ( SAN ) .
The House had on Thursday resolved to sue Akpabio for alleged perjury and defamation of the parliament .
Akpabio had on Monday, while appearing before the House Committee on the NDDC during an investigative hearing on the alleged illegal spending and mismanagement of funds , alleged that members of the National Assembly were awarded 60 per cent of contracts by the commission.

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