NDDC Saga: Finally, Akpabio Releases Names Of Lawmakers Who Got Contract

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has revealed identity of lawmakers who got contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The names where disclosed in a document.

According to THISDAY, the names of the lawmakers were attached to the letter the minister sent to the house of representatives.

The development is sequel to the ultimatum given to former Akwa Ibom governor by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, who had given him 48 hours to name the lawmakers who got the contracts or face the “wrath of the house”.

Akpabio had, while appearing before a house panel probing the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion by the interim management committee (IMC) of the commission,  said federal lawmakers were the major beneficiaries of the contracts awarded by the commission.

When Gbajabiamila read Akpabio’s letter on the floor of the house on Thursday, he did not mention that there was a list of contract beneficiaries attached to the letter.

Senate committee chairman on NDDC, Peter Nwaoboshi; senate committee chairman on public accounts, Matthew Urhoghide, and James Manager, senator representing Delta South, were reportedly fingered in the grand sleaze and financial impropriety.

A former senator representing Imo east, and Nicholas Mutu, and a lawmaker from Delta, Sam Anyanwu, who chaired the house NDDC committee in the last assembly, were also named as beneficiaries.

Mutu currently chairs the house committee on gas resources.

While Nwaoboshi’s name was tied to 53 projects, Mutu was said to have got 74 contracts.

Urhoghide, Manager and Anyanwu were said to have got 31 contracts in total.

Conversely, there were no costs attached to the contracts said to have been awarded to these legislators.