Looting of NDDC: Corruption Fights Back as Minister, Senator Lock Horns 

Corruption appears to be fighting back mercilessly at the bruised Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Some political deep pockets that have been allegedly plundering the Commission are literally busy dancing naked at the market square.

Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Godswill Akpabio, who dominated the affairs of Akwa Ibom State for eight years (2007-2015) with an alleged massive rip-off of the state is currently at dagger drawn with Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.

Akpabio is firing at Nwaoboshi, the Senate Committee Chairman on Niger Delta for allegedly using front companies to defraud the supposed development commission.

Nwaoboshi first opened the fire on Akpabio, claiming that NDDC awarded a contract of N500 million to the minister which he did not allegedly execute.

Taking on the senator on behalf of their principal, Director of NDDC’s Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, says “the Commission wishes to state that it has searched through its records and there is no evidence of any contract awarded to Akpabio or any company associated with him by the NDDC.

“From our findings, the person who has questions to answer to the Niger Delta people is Nwaoboshi. Our records show that Nwaoboshi used 11 front companies (owned or traceable to him) to secure a contract of N3.6 billion in September 2016, in what is perhaps the biggest single case of looting of the Commission’s resources.”

According to NDDC, the front companies used by Nwaoboshi include Noan Integrated Services; De Towers Constructions & Allied Services Ltd; l Franstine Nigeria Enterprises; Edrihide Company; Isumabe U.K. Global; Benchmark Construction & Allied Services Ltd; Millstone Allied Builders Ltd.; Nelpat Nigeria Company; Agh-Rown Ventures; Edendoma Stars International; and Antlers Construction and Allied Works Ltd.

Continuing, the commission says their inventory records show that these items were supplied and received on Nwaoboshi’s business premises and warehouse. Meanwhile, the contracts were awarded to him.

It said some of the items supplied to Nwaoboshi’s warehouse through his cronies, were later resold to the Delta State Government, while the others were sold to other states through contracts awarded to him.

“All supply agreements were signed by the same person being Agbamuche Nelson, traceable to Nwaoboshi. This is in flagrant contravention of section 58(4) (a) and (d) of the Public Procurement Act. No wonder Nwaoboshi and his cohorts are jittery about the ongoing forensic audit exercise in the NDDC and are doing everything possible to derail it.

“We believe that until Nwaoboshi can absolve himself of his role in the looting of the resources of the Commission, he should step aside from any investigative activity against the Commission,” demanded the commission’’, NDDC said.

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