Headlines
–Akpabio list names lawmakers on NDDC Contracts
–The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta-North) with 53 projects.
–Akpabio also linked Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo-South), six and James Manager (Delta-South), six.
Healthforbes reported, Godswill Akpabio who’s the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs has linked some members of the National Assembly to some contacts that was awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Akpabio, however, did not state if the lawmakers were directly awarded the contracts or they nominated the projects under their Zonal Intervention Projects which is also known as constituency projects.
Mr Nicholas Mutu who’s the former Chairman, House of Representatives who represents the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State is among the linked members of the contracts by the minister.
Mutu’s name was listed against 74 projects by the minister, which includes 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 which involves about N320m.
Akpabio linked also Senator Peter Nwaoboshi who’s the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs of Delta-North with 53 projects including emergency repairs of Asue Street, Owa Phase 2; Idumuogbe road through Ojemaye; Otolokpo College Road, Otolokpo; and the Police Ishu Ani Ukwu Road, Issele Uku.
Other lawmakers listed by Akpabio project lists are Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo-South), six; James Manager (Delta-South), six; Samuel Anyanwu (Imo-West, 8th Senate), 19; and others simply identified as Ondo and Edo Reps.
However the minister does not provide the cost of the projects listed against the lawmakers names, while the value of contracts given to non-lawmakers had costs of various projects attached to them.
According to our source, contracts listed against the names of the lawmakers were not up to 60 per cent of the 266 on the list provited by Akpabio.
Non-National Assembly members are also on the list.
According to further observations, the minister copied the Attorney General of the Federation and Abubakar Malami (SAN) who’s the Minister of Justice.
On Thursday, the House had resolved to sue Akpabio for alleged perjury and defamation of the parliament.
On Monday, the Minister, while appearing before the House Committee on the NDDC during an investigative hearing on the alleged illegal spending and mismanagement of funds, claimed that the commission awarded members of the National Assembly 60 percent of contracts.