The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, on Sunday, July 26, revealed the names of some members of the National Assembly involved in contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission.
However, Akpabio explained that he is unsure whether the lawmakers were directly awarded the contracts; or they nominated the projects under their Zonal Intervention Projects, also known as constituency projects.
The former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the NDDC, Mr Nicholas Mutu, who represents the Bomadi/Patani Federal Constituency of Delta State, is among those linked by the minister with contracts.
According to Akpabio, Mutu is involved in 74 projects; including various emergency road projects in Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.
It was reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on February 3, 2020, arraigned Mutu before Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja; for alleged abuse of office and fraud involving about N320m.
Furthermore, the Minister linked the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta-North).
Nwaoboshi is allegedly involved in 53 projects, which included emergency repairs of Asue Street, Owa Phase 2; ldumuogbe Road via Ojemaye; Otolokpo College Road, Otolokpo; and the Police lshu Ani Ukwu Road, Issele Uku.
Other lawmakers that Akpabio listed projects against are Senator Matthew Urhoghide (Edo-South), six; James Manager (Delta-South), six; Samuel Anyanwu (Imo-West, 8th Senate), 19; and others simply identified as Ondo and Edo Reps.
The minister, however, did not provide the cost of the projects listed against the lawmakers’ names; while the cost of contracts given to non-lawmakers had costs of various projects attached to them.
Sources also revealed that contracts listed against the names of the lawmakers were not up to 60 per cent of the 266 on the list provided by Akpabio.
It was further observed that the minister copied the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. Non-National Assembly members are also on the list.
The House of Reps on Thursday had resolved to sue Akpabio for alleged perjury and defamation of the parliament.
This was in the aftermath of claims by Akpabio that members of the National Assembly were awarded 60 percent of contracts by the commission. He had made the claims during an investigative hearing on the alleged illegal spending and mismanagement of funds in the NDDC.