NDDC defends Akpabio, indicts Sen Nwaoboshi over contracts

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) had defended the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, over allegations of N500 million contracts made by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi. The commission declared that NDDC awarded no contract to Senator Godswill Akpabio.

NDDC in a statement by Charles Obi Odili,

Director, Corporate Affairs, acknowledged

a statement by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, that the Commission awarded a contract of N500 million to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, which he did not execute.

The Commission stated that it has searched through its records and there is no evidence of any contract awarded to Senator Akpabio or any company associated with him by the NDDC.

“From our findings, the person who has questions to answer to the Niger Delta People is Senator Nwaoboshi. Our records show that Senator Nwaoboshi used 11 front companies (owned or traceable to him) to secure a contract of N3.6 billion in September 2016, in what is perhaps the biggest single case of looting of the Commission’s resources,” the statement read in part.

NDDC identified the companies/business names as:

i. Noan Integrated Services;

ii. De Towers Constructions & Allied Services Ltd;

iii. Franstine Nigeria Enterprises;

iv. Edrihide Company;

v. Isumabe U.K. Global;

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vi. Benchmark Construction & Allied Services Ltd

vii. Millstone Allied Builders Ltd.;

viii. Nelpat Nigeria Company;

ix. Agh-Rown Ventures;

xi. Edendoma Stars International; and

xii. Antlers Construction and Allied Works Ltd.

The Commission disclosed that the inventory records showed that the items were supplied and received on Senator Nwaoboshi’s business premises and warehouse; however, some of the items supplied to Nwaoboshi’s warehouse through his cronies, were later resold to the Delta State government, while the others were sold to other states through contracts awarded to him.

NDDC revealed that all supply agreements were signed by one and same person, identified as Mr. Agbamuche Nelson, and traceable to Senator Nwaoboshi. “This is in flagrant contravention of section 58(4) (a) and (d) of the Public Procurement Act. No wonder Sen. Nwaoboshi and his cohorts are jittery about the ongoing forensic audit exercise in the NDDC and are doing everything possible to derail it,” the statement indicated.

The commissioner challenged Senator Nwaoboshi to absolve himself of his role in the looting of the resources of the NDDC, demanding that he should step aside from any investigation in the National Assembly against the Commission.