Reps Give Akpabio 48 Hours
The House of Representatives has given Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio forty-eight hours to publish names, contracts, dates and amount of contracts awarded to members of the 9th Assembly.
Earlier, the Minister has claimed that most of the contracts of the NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly.
Mr Akpabio disclosed this during Monday’s investigative hearing held to probe the allegations of corruption in the NDDC.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said the House will invoke the full wrath of the law if the Minister fails to do so.
Gbajabiamila accused Senator Akpabio of playing games when he appeared at the investigative hearing.
The resolution asking Akpabio to disclose the details of the contracts awarded to lawmakers followed a matter of privilege moved by Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.
The Minority Leader said his privilege was breached by the allegation from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs that 60 per cent of NDDC contracts were awarded to National Assembly members.
In his response, the Speaker described the Minister’s comments as untrue and challenged him to publish the names of beneficiary lawmakers in forty-eight hours or risk the full wrath of the law.
He commended the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who recused himself from Monday’s sitting as a determination to ensure fairness and balance.
The Speaker also decried a situation where the Minister’s allegation lacked any iota of evidence.
He described the allegation as a distraction from the main issue bordering on allegations levelled against the leadership of the NDDC.