The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has been accused by the Senate of failing to execute projects worth N500million awarded to him by the Niger Delta Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2017.
It was reported that a battle of wits had been ranging between the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC and the National Assembly over moves by the later to probe alleged misappropriation of N40billion within three months by the IMC.
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP – Delta North), the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, disclosed this in documents he made available to reporters in Abuja, claiming that in 2017 alone, Akpabio was awarded contracts worth N500million by the NDDC after he asked for same but failed to execute them.
According to him, a letter dated August 7, 2017, was addressed to the Chairman, Senate Committee on NIger Delta, from Akpabio requesting that five projects worth N500million be added for him in the NDDC’s budget. He had used his office to include projects not budgeted for in the Appropriation Bill.
The projects as stated in the alleged letter written by Akpabio include:
- The Fence work for the Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District at the cost of N200 million.
- The Fencing work for the Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene (Old site) Akwa northwest Senatorial District at the cost of N100 million.
- Plan for an entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implements for Youths in Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District at the cost of N75 million.
- Another entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implements for Women in Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District at the cost of N75 million.
- The renovation of the hostel facility at the University of Nsukka, Nsukka Campus at the cost of N50 million.
Nwaoboshi said reports show that while there was no physical evidence of implementation of these projects, the contracts were awarded and fully paid for and that such practices have turned the region to sites of abandoned projects.
In a statement written by his Chief Press Secretary Anietie Ekong, Akpabio had denied ever writing any letter to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs to include projects in the budget of the NDDC.
According to Ekong, the letters were addressed to the leadership of the National Assembly at the time to make recommendations for zonal intervention projects as requested by the leadership.
“Why would the senator Akpabio write to Senator Nwaboshi to be awarded the NDDC contract? Is he the Managing Director of the NDDC? Senator Akpabio never requested for NDDC contracts from Senator Peter Nwaboshi as he is claiming. He’s false and no one should take him seriously.”-Ekong.
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