Akpabio Recants NDDC Contract Bonanza By NASS

Hours after Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila gave notice of the decision of the House of Representatives to sue the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio for perjury, the minister has recanted his claim of National Assembly members appropriating 60% of the contracts of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

Akpabio made the recant in a letter he sent to the Speaker which was read during plenary.

Akpabio had during the public hearing conducted by the Niger Delta Committee of the House of Representatives said that 60% of the contracts of the commission were awarded to members of the National Assembly.

He was, however, held back from further speaking by the deputy chairman of the committee, Rep. Thomas Ereyitomi who passionately told him to off his microphone.

Gbajabiamila following the development and the caricature made of the hearing had vowed to ensure that Akpabio was made to name the legislators who collected the contracts.

The minister missed the Speaker’s 48 hour deadline on Thursday morning following which he pledged to drag him to court for perjury.

Akpabio, however, subsequently wrote where he denied the claim saying that he referred to members of the former National Assembly.

In the letter, Akpabio explained that the investigative committee did not allow him explain what he meant when he made reference to 60 per cent contracts in the NDDC.

“As to the reference to 60 per cent of contracts, the investigative committee refused and neglected to give me opportunity to explain that; I  was responding to a question by a member of the committee

“Permit me to explain that any reference to 60 per cent during the investigative hearing was in answer to a question by a member of the committee as to whether or not, a medical doctor could act as Executive Director project which I answered in affirmative.

“That the greatest project in the world today is COVID-19, which is medical in nature; further more, I am made to understand that 60 per cent of NDDC yearly budget are medical in nature, therefore is better for a medical doctor  to serve as the Executive Director Projects,” it reads.

“I never referred to members of the 9th House of Representatives as beneficiaries of NDDC contracts as the NDDC is yet to fully implement any NDDC budget since the beginning of the 9th National Assembly.

“The Director Projects forwarded to me 19 old contracts amounting to nine billion naira which the NDDC Chairman in the house insist the IMC pay for,” he said.

Akpabio said that as a former Minority Leader   of the 8th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, He shall forever hold the ideals of the National Assembly.

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