Akpabio Releases Names of Lawmakers Involved In NDDC Fraud




...NYCN Calls on Gbajabiamila to Resign for Hiding List
 
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio has released the list of lawmakers involved in the alleged looting of funds from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Akpabio had forwarded a letter to the National Assembly last Thursday where he noted that he did not accuse the lawmakers of receiving 60 per cent of the contracts for NDDC.

City News however learnt that the part where the minister stated the names were not read on the floor of the house even though they were allegedly in the letter forwarded by the minister to the National Assembly.

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) who released the document to the public in Abuja on Sunday expressed disappointment that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, refused to disclose the list of federal lawmakers who benefitted from the contracts awarded by the (NDDC).

According to the document, Akpabio listed Nwaoboshi’s name against 53 projects which included, Emergency Repairs of Asue Street, Owa Phase 2, Emergency Repairs of ldumuogbe Road via Ojemaye, Emergency Repairs of Otolokpo College Road, Otololkpo, and Emergency Repairs of Police lshu Ani Ukwu Road, Issele Uku.

“They also included Emergency Repairs of old Sapele Agbor Road, Obiaruku, Emergency Repairs of Ehwerhe Obada Road Agbarho Road, Emergency Repairs of Hon. Ifeanyi Eboigbe Street Boji Boji Owa/Goodwill Street, Owa Alero, and Emergency Repairs of Ahiama Okwu to Obuocha Okwu among others.

“Also the Minister listed Mutu’s name against 74 projects which included various emergency road projects in Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Rivers states.

“Other lawmakers that Akpabio listed projects against are, Senator Mathew Urhoghide (6), James Manager (6), Sam Anyanwu (19), and others simply identified as Ondo and Edo reps.

The President of the council, Solomon Adodo, while speaking with newsmen on Sunday said, “Mr Speaker did not do us justice when he did not disclose to the National Assembly that the list of the beneficiaries he demanded had been disclosed and attached to the letter sent to him.”

“Gbajabiamila’s decision to cover up his colleagues is unfair to the fight against corruption, quest for transparency, and to the commonwealth of our nation.

“We, therefore, urge Mr Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to resign for covering up for a set of people who had erred and breached the rules of the contract.

“All the National Assembly members who benefitted from the contracts without executing them should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to those who may want to follow a similar path.

“It is a clear case of organised crime to have individuals who benefitted from illegality now rising to probe the fact that their illegality is being exposed".

The NYCN called on all anti-graft agencies and security agencies to, in line with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, immediately proceed and go ahead with their investigation of the matter.

In the document displayed by the Youths Council, Akpabio was quoted as having said that his letter became necessary because “the investigating Committee on NDDC refused and/or neglected to give me the opportunity to explain that reference to most NDDC contracts yearly being awarded since 2001 from the records allegedly to members of the National Assembly in both Chambers were done without the knowledge of the alleged beneficiaries.”