Date Published: 10/04/11

N80 Billion NDDC Phony Contract Exposed

*The immediate past  management of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC ) , approved an N80 Billion Sand-filling contract for Okrika, Rivers State, few weeks before it was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan, Pointblanknews.com has learnt.

*The local contractor, with strings of abandoned contracts under his  sleeve, is said to have abandoned a road construction project in Akwa Ibom State eight years ago.

*Sources told Pointblanknews.com that sequel to promised kick-backs to the sacked NDDC management,  few weeks before they were shown the gate,  hurriedly approved the contract and forwarded a recommendation letter to the Bureau for Public Procurement, (BPP) to approve the contract sum.

But after the award, and recommendation, the next worry was the BPP hurdle.

*It was gathered that an insider at the BPP hinted the erstwhile NDDC management that the lump contract sum maybe rejected by the BPP, because it appeared to be on a high side if it is only for a sand-filling project.

Pointblanknews.com sources said further that when the issue of the lump sum came up, the  BPP insider, who operated as a go between,  recommended that the contract be broken down into four phases and pegged at N20 Billion per phase.

 Few days before the former NDDC management was sacked, it was further learnt,   the sand-filling contract was fragmented  into four phases.  Based on this, a final letter of recommendation was submitted  to BPP for approval.

*Sources hinted that "since their sacking, the said contractor has besieged the BPP office, promising fat kick-backs to officials should his bogus sand-filling contract be approved. He is equally said to be lobbying the first lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, to assist in putting in words for him at the BPP.

At the time of going to press, it is not known if the office of the first lady has responded to his overtures. The first lady is from Okrika, the location of the N80 Billion sand-filling contract."

But our sources said Mrs Jonathan has warned all agents of the contractor to stay away from her doorsteps, but allow the contact to be subjected to the rigors of due process.

Said the source " the first lady is not happy about the move. She is also shocked that such huge sum could be put on a sand filling project. "

Some indigenes form Okrika who spoke to Pointblanknews.com on condition of anonymity claim that "such expenditure for sand-filling is bogus, a huge fraud as nothing to sand-fill in Okrika.

According to another Indigene, "all we have in Okrika is oil pollution, where would they find the sand to sand fill and where do they want to sand fill. I have never seen anywhere in Okrika that require such huge about for any form of sand fill."