President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately disband the Interim Management
Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission over scandal and
ongoing corrupt activities.
National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Godknows Sotonye, stated that
following the revelation of corruption allegations against the Minister
of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, and his involvement in corrupt
activities in the commission, the President must as a matter of urgency
bring order to the NDDC by disbanding the IMC.
Sotonye added that the corrupt activities rocking the NDDC had revealed
that the IMC was illegally set-up by Akpabio to conceal his corrupt
deals.
Sotonye said, “Ojugboh’s testimony of lies and half-truths extends to
the contract awarded to Signoria Concept Services Limited.
“The letter to the company dated April 6, 2020, read ‘Award of Contract
for the Emergency Procurement of Specialised Medical Personal Protective
Equipment for Health Workers and Provision of Community Based
Sensitisation Campaign Against the Spread of Covid-19 and other
Communicable Diseases in the nine states of the Niger Delta region’ and
signed by Head, Procurement Unit on the instruction of the IMC.
“What has happened is that Akpabio and the IMC are trying to walk away
from scandal because it has been busted and they are presently
destroying all evidence of the award of the contract to Signoria Concept
Services Limited, which was made on April 6, 2020. Signoria Concept
Services Limited was also paid N357m for maternal delivery kits on
February 22, 2020.
“Clearly the IMC was illegally put in place by Akpabio to enable him
fleece the commission and line up his pockets. In making these
questionable payments, Akpabio and the IMC have depleted the NDDC bank
balances, which was a total of over N50bn earlier this year to a little
over N10bn as at today.
“These evidences of large scale larceny by the IMC of the NDDC and
Akpabio, make a mockery of the anti-corruption mantra of President
Buhari and is an insult to Niger Deltans and Nigerians who are
destitute, especially at a time when resources are limited and far
between.
“President Buhari has an official duty and a moral responsibility to
Nigerians to put an end to these grand heists which are happening under
his watch.
“He should as a matter of urgency bring order to the NDDC by disbanding
the IMC which has clearly shown itself to be a tool for fleecing the
Niger Delta people of their resources.
“He should also ensure that all funds looted by the IMC are recovered
and ploughed back into the development of the Niger Delta.”