Akpabio Denies Saying Lawmakers Got 60% NDDC Contracts
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has responded to the 24 to 48 hours issued to him by the House of Representatives.
In a letter, Akpabio denied saying lawmakers got over 60 per cent of the contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, who confirmed the receipt of Akpabio’s letter, said the minister claimed to have referred to old contracts awarded by the commission.
According to the letter, Apabio said his claim was about the contracts that had not been paid for and some of which are part of the constituency projects of the lawmakers.
Gbajabiamila said Akpabio’s response would be referred to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to look at the merits of the minister’s arguments.
You will recall that Gbajabiamila on Thursday threatened that the lawmakers would sue Akpabio for failing to prove that NDDC awarded contracts to them.
Meanwhile, The Senate has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over alleged financial recklessness.
Also, the Senate recommended that the NDDC should be returned to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for proper supervision.
It also called on the current IMC to refund the 4.923billion naira it paid to staff and contractors in breach of the procurement process.