Pointblanknews.com investigations revealed that while N300billion from the N1.5trillion Ecological Fund owed the agency by the Federal Government was released to the NDDC in February 2019, bulk of the sum was spent on fake contracts awarded to loyalists of the
All Progressive Congress, APC, ahead of the elections. Another N100billion was released to the agency in April 2019.
Over N10billion was stolen through such shady awards, inflated contracts, fake certificates under the supervision of the acting NDDC boss, a Senior management staff told pointblanknews.com
Christopher, son of the MD who is regarded as the de facto MD allegedly handled the award of fictitious Water Hyacinth contract where over N10billion was squandered, a senior management source who does not want to be named told pointblanknews.com.
“We are in a mess here in NDDC. It is a family affair. What you guys exposed in the Presidential Amnesty office is a child’s play. The MD and his son are in charge. They have cornered all the contracts and awarded to all their friends and cronies.”
“Imagine in February, we got N300billion from the Federal government from the N1.5trillion owed NDDC from the Ecological funds and in April we got N100billion. As I am talking to you now, I don’t think if we are called to render account of how we spent those funds we will have an answer,” the source told Pointblanknews.com.
According to the source, few weeks to the General elections in January, the NDDC office in Port Harcourt became a mecca of sort with APC loyalists trooping in and out with contract papers.
“This place was like a market square around January. APC people flooded here and were collecting contracts like people collecting meal tickets.I can tell you for a fact that Christopher gave over N10billion fake Water Hyacinth contracts to people.
The source further revealed that during the tenure of Nsima Ekere as MD, between December 2017-January 2018, he awarded about N3billion fake water hyacinth contracts to one thousand APC loyalists at N3million per person.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Water Hyacinth contracts are awarded to political loyalists and used to compensate Politicians and Political thugs during and after elections. In most cases according to an insider, the contracts are never done.
When Pointblanknews.com contacted Charles Obi Odili, spokesman of NDDC, he denied any wrongdoing. He denied that Christopher Briambaifa, son of the MD works for NDDC. He said all the allegations are pure rumor from detractors.
But Christopher Braimbaifa said there is no law barring him from working with his father as a Special Assistant. He denied ever awarding any contract saying he has no such powers to do so.
“The MD’s son is not employed here with us and does not have any powers to award any contract.”
“I have been working for my father ever before he was appointed here. We have very good working relationship from our private business and others. If he sees me as a dependable ally as his Special Assistant, I don’t see anything wrong in that. I am not the only one whose father has been appointed to work with him in a Government circle,” he told Pointblanknews.com