Akpabio Influenced N500m NDDC Contracts in 2017, Nwaoboshi Alleges

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Buhari's Ministers: Akwa Ibom APC Rejects Akpabio - SilverbirdTV





More controversies surrounding the award of contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, are coming out as he is being accused of allegedly influencing the award of N500 million contracts in the agency in 2017.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Peter Nwaoboshi, in vital documents made available to journalists alleged that in 2017 alone, Akpabio collected contracts worth N500million from NDDC without execution.

According to him, "In a letter dated August 7, 2017, addressed to the chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC, Akpabio requested that five projects worth N500 million be added to the budget.

"Akpabio, as Minority Leader of the Senate then, used his office to include projects not budgeted for in the Appropriation Bill."

The projects as clearly stated in the letter included fencing of the Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district at the cost of N200 million and fencing of the Federal Government College in Ikot Ekpene (Old site), Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district.

Other projects were entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implement for youths in Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district at the cost of N75 million. Entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implement for women in the district at the cost of N75 million, and the renovation of one hostel facility at University of Nsukka, Nsukka Campus, at the cost of N50 million.

"Findings show that while there was no physical evidence of implementation of these projects, checks show that contracts were awarded and fully paid for.

"Such practices have turned the region to sites of abandoned projects," Nwaoboshi lamented.

The documents further revealed that similar contracts collections without execution were carried out on NDDC by Akpabio in 2016 and in 2018.


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