The Niger Delta Watchdog for Good Governance, an advocacy youth group, has called on all stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil-rich region to support the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, in his quest to bring a new order through the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
Speaking to newsmen yesterday in Port Harcourt, the President of the youth group, Comrade Peter Essien, stated that Senator Akpabio, had good intentions for the people of the Niger Delta and had demonstrated that by implementing President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to reposition the NDDC.
Essien said it was unfortunate that some people who misunderstood Akpabio were using the media to criticize his actions, especially in relation to the Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the NDDC.
He decried a situation where Senator Akpabio was being vilified for some perceived sins at the NDDC, noting that allegations levelled against the minister with respect to some of the Commission’s contracts were false as he was out to end the alleged contract bazaar at the interventionist agency.
According to Essien, Akpabio made sure that there was no free money to be shared anymore in NDDC, stating: “Now the contractors are on their toes to either go back to deliver projects awarded to them up to required standard or refund every kobo paid to them.
“The truth is that President Muhammadu Buhari anticipated this battle and needed a thick-skinned minister to take charge. That is why he transferred the supervisory powers of the NDDC from the office of the Secretary General of the Federation to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.’
The youth leader advised some Niger Delta groups who had joined in criticizing the minister to always look before leaping. He said it was wrong for the Ijaw Intellectual Advocates to accuse the IMC of defrauding the people of the region under the guise of purchasing COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitizers via the award of a contract to Signora Concepts Services Limited to the tune of N5, 474,647,125.00.
Essien said that available evidence had since shown that the allegation was false, adding that the insinuation that the company received the money from NDDC through Senator Akpabio, was totally untrue.
He stated: “The NDDC has denied the existence of such contract in the first place and ordered an investigation into the source and authenticity of documents paraded as contract documents by the group. The alleged company Signora Concepts Services Limited has also denied being awarded any contract of that nature save for the procurement of Lassa fever vaccines and test kits which was awarded by the past Executive Management.”
Essien observed that the allegations had been inconsistent as it moved from the award of over N5billion Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) COVID-19 fraud to the payment of 33 companies for the supply of Lassa fever vaccines and kits.
He noted: “The contradictions in these allegations indicate that there is more to the petitions and name-calling against the minister. Perhaps, it is the fear of the impunity of their past misdeeds being brought to light