NDDC:NWAOBOSHI DEBUNKS ALLEGATION OF HANDLING OF 53 CONTRACTS, URGES AKPABIO TO ACCOUNT FOR N81bn

OGHENETEJIRI NYERHOVWO/ GODWIN AYOBAMI RACHEL

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District has distanced himself from the list of contractors handling projects for the Niger Delta Development Commission( NDDC) as contained in a letter by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Reacting to the inclusion of his name as one of the NDDC contractors with 53 contracts in a statement signed by his Legislative Assistant on Constituency Office, Awele Onokwai Snr. dated Monday, 27 July, 2020, Senator Nwaoboshi described the actions of Senator Akpabio as a desperate and failed efforts to cover the tracks of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Commission who he affirmed are neck deep in high level misappropriation of funds.

Senator Nwaoboshi maintained that having been at the Senate since 2015, he has never executed any project for or on behalf of NDDC, adding that the allegation against him being peddled by Akpabio and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) has remained inconsistent over time.

He challenged the Minister to focus on how to account for the over N81bn. he has so far misappropriated at the NDDC and stop diverting the attention of the general public.

The Statement reads in part:

“since his election into the Nigerian Senate as the Senator representing the good people of Niger Delta, Distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has, at no time whatsoever, executed any contract for or on behalf of the NDDC.

“The 53 contracts allegedly listed to have been executed by Distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi were awarded to different companies and we believe these companies must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), a federal parastatal charged with the responsibility of overseeing the existence of corporate entities in Nigeria.

“As a matter of fact, he who alleges must prove and it is on this sacred maxim that we are challenging the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to liaise with the Corporate Affairs Commission to publish, for public consumption, the names of Shareholders as well as Board Of Directors of the companies that executed the repairs of the purportedly 53 contracts awarded to Distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.

“On several instances, Distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi has publicly challenged his detractors to publish their facts for the general public and up until this very moment, none have been able to provide water-tight proof or evidence in their failed attempts to implicate the Distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.

“As far as Senator Nwaoboshi is concerned, his hands are clean. He is neither a staff of the NDDC nor is he saddled with the responsibility of paying contractors and it becomes extremely mischievous of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to try to drag the reputation of the esteemed Lawmaker in negative lights.

“It is highly instructive for the general public to be wary of the incoherent nature of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and his acolytes planted in the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.

“Initially, these inglorious liars told Nigerians and the world that a seating Senator was awarded 1,000 contracts in the NDDC and when pressed to shed some light on such weighty accusation, they recanted to 350 contracts and when further quizzed, it suddenly became 53 contracts.

“The level of inconsistency of the Minister and his stooges at the IMC is quite alarming and legendary and Nigerians can see the desperate but failed attempt by them to cover their tracks but then, lies have short legs, they don’t travel far.

“We challenge Senator Godswill Akpabio to account for the over N81bn he has so far misappropriated at the NDDC and stop diverting the attention of the general public. If Senator Godswill Akpabio feels there are incriminating issues which need to be addressed, we urge him to go to the relevant security agencies.

“Senator Peter Nwaoboshi as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta is absolutely committed to discharging his legislative and oversight functions as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) much to the admiration of his constituents and Nigerians at large and no amount of paid media campaign of calumny against his person or Office will take his feet off the gas as he is determined to serve Nigerians distinctly.”

Senator Nwaoboshi therefore, enjoined members of the public to disregard the several lies constantly churned out by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in an attempt to ridicule and undermine the probe by the National Assembly into the financial activities of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC.