NDDC: Buhari’s cabinet members, lawmakers fighting Akpabio – Ijaw group

[Edoman]

NDDC: Buhari’s cabinet members, lawmakers fighting Akpabio – Ijaw group
April 10, 2020

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Niger Deltans in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet and the National Assembly are allegedly fighting the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to gain dubious contracts and other resources from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

A group, Ijaw Stakeholders for Good Governance (ISGG), made the allegation in a statement on Friday in Warri.

It accused the leaders of being behind the series of “media attacks and malicious statements” against the minister.

The statement by the group’s president, Ebiye Coleman and spokesman, Lazarus Anthony, warned the said Niger Delta leaders to desist from the purported actions in the interest of the region’s development.

It however called on stakeholders of oil-rich region to support the developmental strides of the Niger Delta ministry and the interventionist agency.

Parts of the statement read, “they all have their respective ministries and also those in the legislature. They want to interfere in the affairs of Akpabio’s ministry and are sponsoring media attacks against Akpabio. Meanwhile, Akpabio has never or attempted to influence happenings in their ministry or the legislature. Akpabio should be allowed to serve the people of Niger Delta.

“From available information, Godswill Akpabio was never involved in the award of NDDC Headquarters contract to Rodnab Construction firm by NDDC. The said contract was approved by the Federal Executive Council on 21 December, 2017 and subsequently, awarded by the management of NDDC led by its former MD, Nsima Ekere.

“The site was handed over to Rodnab on 15 March, 2018, which at that time Sen. Godswill Akpabio was a Senate Minority Leader. So, it is totally wrong to accuse Akpabio over the Rodnap contract.

“All former management of NDDC abandoned the NDDC’s headquarters project in Port Harcourt, but in 2019, when Senator Godswill Akpabio was appointed Minister of Niger Delta, the President, Muhammadu Buhari drafted NDDC under Akpabio’s ministry. It was only then Akpabio found out that NDDC was paying huge rent for a temporary office, which was a complete waste of government funds.

“Being an uncommon transformer, he decided and directed the commission to urgently complete the NDDC’s headquarters project for commissioning by Mr. President in April. But the unfortunate break out of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the plan temporarily”.

Condemning the plot to blackmail the agency’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) and Senator Akpabio, the group stressed, “this must stop. We should also support Akpabio’s Niger Delta Ministry and NDDC to deliver on the mandate to provide human and infrastructural development across the entire Niger Delta region.