NDDC Awarded Contracts To Lawmakers – Akpabio

NDDC Awarded Contracts To Lawmakers – Akpabio

POLITICS DIGEST – The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has alleged that most of the contracts of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were awarded to the National Assembly members. The minister said this on Monday to the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC investigating financial mismanagement in the NDDC.

“Most of the contracts in NDDC are awarded to National Assembly members,” he said. A member of the committee, Boma Goodhead (PDP, Rivers) challenged Akpabio: “You were a member of the NDDC Committee in the 8th Assembly. “Are you telling me that lots of jobs were awarded to you?” Responding, the minister said: “No.” The lawmaker took on him again, saying “If you were not awarded the contracts, why are you coming here to say that you are aware that lawmakers were awarded contracts?”

But as Akpabio attempted to respond, the deputy chairman of the committee, who presided over the session, Thomas Ereyitomi, interrupted him thus: “It’s okay Hon. Minister! It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay. Hon. Minister, it’s okay. Don’t talk again, off your mic.” Akpabio debunked the allegations by a former Managing Director of the NDDC, Joi Nunei, that he approved N10bn for her to share to contractors.

He also denied hijacking the forensic audit exercise ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari last year. He said N2.5bn for the forensic audit exercise was included in the 2019 budget of the agency.

On the allegation the NDDC had been awarding contracts without recourse to due process, he said the agency only awarded three contracts after he assumed office as minister. He listed the contracts to include: forensic audit, purchase of 90 vehicles and COVID-19 emergency projects.

In awarding the contracts, he said both the technical and financial bidding processes were conducted. The minister was queried on alleged usurpation of the functions of the agency’s Managing Director in addition to his supervisory role.

But Akpabio said he only intervened whenever the Commission “is going wrong”. He said he intervened when he heard about the payment of N2.9bn for Lassa fever. “I called and found out that they’ve paid the sum of N2.9 billion and they are about paying another N572 million.

“I had to intervene and stop the payment because there was no budget for it,” he said. He also said he was not aware of the release of N5.8 billion as palliative to flooded communities without budgetary provision.

The minister said the management of the interventionist agency withdrew from its accounts N4.2bn in a single day. He said the money was withdrawn in tranches of N49 million, but could not give details of what the money was used for.

He said the documents showing the withdrawal had been submitted to the forensic auditors. “NDDC played a vital role in ensuring peace and security of the region and 90 percent or more of the resources of the country on a monthly basis come from there. “If you close it down in totality, all you have would be chaos. “You will have not just militancy, but also insurrection,” Akpabio said.

Ag NDDC MD collapses, confesses N81.5bn spent in 7 months

The acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Professor Kemerbrandikumo Pondei, collapsed while being interrogated by the committee on the spending of N81.5 billion by the commission, forcing the session to be put on hold for over 30 minutes. But before he collapsed, Pondei had confessed that the commission spent N81.5 billion in seven months. He, however, stated that the funds were spent by the two Interim Management Committees between October 2019 and May 31, 2020 and were in line with the 2019 Appropriation Act. Pondei further disclosed that N72 billion was realised by NDDC between February and June, 2020. When asked to provide the budget line for the N1.5 billion spent on COVID-19, he said N1.32 billion was spent on COVID-19 out of the N2.5 billion approved for the IMC by Federal Government.

He added that N536 million was used for “Safe Life Campaign” and another N600 million was paid to a media consultancy firm. He said further that N38.6 billion was spent on capital projects with N33.5 billion outstanding payment paid to contractors. He also said that N20.5 billion was spent as recurrent expenditure, including three years outstanding Duty Tour Allowance, hotel and other outstanding bills.

He said that N30 million was paid to Transcorp Hilton Hotel, N26 million for electricity bill and N500,000 paid as scholarship arrears to each beneficiary. Speaking, Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Wole Oke, noted that Section 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution provide that no money can be spent by any agency of government except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.

The committee, therefore, requested the details of the NDDC’s 2019 Appropriation Act which was implemented by the commission. Earlier on Monday, the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Olubunmi, Tunji-Ojo, had stepped aside as the head of the investigative panel. He said though he had the support of his colleagues, he stepped aside to give all parties fair hearing. Pondei had, last Thursday, led a walkout on the committee when he appeared before it, accusing the chairman of corruption.

Meanwhile, House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, asked his medical team to attend to Pondei. Later on Monday, Charles Obi Odili, NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, in a statement, dismissed insinuations that Pondei’s collapse was stage-managed, saying he had been ill for the past two weeks. “He thought he could make it through the hearing and take care of his health later. “As it turned out, his doctors were right. “Prof Pondei is in a stable condition at a clinic in Abuja,” the statement said.