NDDC: Released document indicts top govt officials

Top government officials are Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contract beneficiaries, a document by Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio has shown.

This is besides the senators and House of Representatives members on the list communicated to House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila by Akpabio.

The document also contains project descriptions, local government areas, proposed contractors, contact details (including phone numbers), project sources and dates of award’.

The beneficiaries, according to the document, include two former Delta State governors, top Federal Government officials, the police, other security agencies, the judiciary, traditional rulers who got contracts worth billions of dollars over the years.

The list did not state the amount of the contracts given to the beneficiaries.

In the accompanying letter dated July 23, 2020 Akpabio said: ” It has always been known that the two chairmen of the committees on NDDC in both chambers yearly exhibit unusual influence to the exclusion of committee members and even the management of the NDDC in appropriating funds to details embellished in the budget after passage of line items at the plenaries.”

In the House, about 30 members would be appearing before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges over the allegations bothering on execution of over N100 billion in the controversial 2018 emergency projects awarded by the NDDC.

Gbajabiamila had during Thursday plenary referred the minister’s letter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for further investigation.