Akpabio: 60 percent of NDDC contracts were awarded to National Assembly members

Ebun Francis| Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta Affairs, on Monday said 60% of the contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are given to members of the national assembly.

Akpabio who made the disclosure while appearing before the house of representatives committee probing the commission, also told the panel that, “We cannot close down NDDC because of the forensic audit.

“We have records to show that most of the contracts at NDDC are given to members of the national assembly… You people are the biggest beneficiaries,” he said.

The former governor of Akwa Ibom state also told the panel that only three contracts have been awarded by the NDDC since he became minister, while claiming that management of NDDC withdrew N4.2bn in one day.

“The NDDC management withdrew N4.2bn cash in one day,” Akpabio said, as he presented a document supporting his statement.

According to Akpabio, Ernst and Young has been approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement for the forensic audit of NDDC, stressing that N40bn is not missing from NDDC account.

“I want to state emphatically that no N40bn is missing,” Akpabio said.

Akpabio who denied habouring presidential ambition, told the panel he never receivied any money or executed a contract from the agency.

He also denies hijacking the forensic audit of NDDC.

Asked why the former former acting managing director of NDDC, Joi Nunieh was removed from her post, Akpabio alleged she did not participate in the mandatory one year service of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He said he got to know about this through a letter from late Abba Kyari, former chief of staff to the president.

“The former managing director of the NDDC was relieved of her appointment when I received a letter from the then Chief of Staff (may his soul rest in peace) that she did not possess the requisite qualifications to be there,” he said.

“For instance, we have written twice to the National Youth Service Corps and twice they have insisted that she never served and that she does not have an NYSC certificate or an exception.”

Akpabio appeared before the house panel short after it resumed from a 30 minutes break following the dramatic slumping of the managing director of the commission earlier in the day.