Group known as Transparency and Accountability Advancement, Wednesday, advised the National Assembly committees, probing the alleged financial misappropriation linking the minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), not to be distracted in performing their duties.

Disclosing this in a statement signed by Comrade Godknows Sotonye, the groups National Coordinator, obtained by Vanguard: the group stated: “We call on Nigerians and the National Assembly Committees probing the expenditures made by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) not to be distracted by the theatrics, deceit and propaganda of the minister of the Niger Delta.

“The committees should be guided by their oaths of office and present reports that will address the Corruption under the IMC, recover our stolen wealth, prescribe due punishment for those indicted and set the NDDC on the right path again to deliver on its mandate to the people of the Niger Delta region.

“The claims by Chief Akpabio and the IMC at the House of Representatives Committee Public Hearing on Monday, July 20, was quite in character. Aside the theatrics of Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, the Acting MD and head of the IMC, who fainted and then walked out of the venue thereafter, the unsubstantiated claims by Akpabio that members of the National Assembly are the main NDDC contractors, as if that explains how N81.5billion has been squandered by the IMC in eight months, is an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians and Niger Deltans particularly.

“The art of blaming the National Assembly with unproven allegations is one that Akpabio and the IMC have perfected and one by which they hope to escape with their grand heist at the NDDC. This must not be permitted. The Niger Delta people can no longer afford to have rogues in charge of the NDDC. The National Assembly investigations must not sit on what is glaring to Nigerians, who watched in shame, as Akpabio, Pondei and the IMC admitted to acts of Corruption, disregard for public procurement laws and due process, and challenged decency in public service.

“We have stated previously, and we make bold to repeat again, that the unsubstantiated accusations of Akpabio and the IMC against the National Assembly lawmakers are escapist since they have failed to report any alleged excesses of such lawmakers to the anti-graft and law enforcement agencies. It is gratifying that House Speaker Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has challenged Akpabio to publish the names of such lawmakers and the contracts linked to them within 48 hours.

“As reported by Premium Times, Speaker Gbajabiamila said at plenary on Tuesday: “I hereby call on the minister to within 24-48 hours publish the names, contracts, dates and unveil the companies of the 60 percent (NDDC) projects that were given to the National Assembly.”

“It is instructive, however, that on further questioning at the House Committee hearing on Monday July 20, Akpabio ate his own words, when he withdrew the allegations of corruption against the House Committee Chairman Hon. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, who had earlier recused himself from chairing the hearings. “The Nation newspaper of July 21, 2020, reported the account thus: “It was earlier alleged by Senator Akpabio during the House Committee’s sitting that Hon. Tunji-Ojo was awarded most contracts of NDDC.

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“However, this claim was later retracted by Akpabio when he now said at the hearing to the consternation of all present, “I only said that NDDC had awarded a contract for the place of Hon. Tunji-Ojo.

“I don’t think NDDC has given a contract directly to Hon. Tunji-Ojo. Before you can say that, you must be sure that such a contract was awarded to the company of Hon. Tunji-Ojo”. Yet, Akpabio had previously not only alleged that Tunji-Ojo was awarded contracts, Pondei also vehemently made the point at a previous hearing and Dr Cairo Ojugboh, the Acting ED Projects, had also without evidence previously alleged on TV that Tunji-Ojo is an NDDC contractor.

“However, no matter how much they try, Akpabio and the IMC cannot sit in judgement over their own matter, and dictate the terms on which they should be investigated. They are at liberty at any time to report to the police, ICPC and/or EFCC  any NASS member who they think has committed any crime in the NDDC. They cannot be allowed to throw wild and unsubstantiated allegations against members of the National Assembly to detract them from their Constitutional duty of oversight as guaranteed by section 88 of the Nigerian Constitution.

“Were they self respecting, they should have resigned their offices now, ahead of the presentation of the Committee reports. No serious government keen on fighting corruption should keep them a day longer in office.

“The Acting Managing Director and head of the IMC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, when he appeared before the Senate Committee, confessed to blowing N3.4 billion on questionable Covid-19 expenditures, including N1.5 billion paid to themselves as Covid-19 palliative. As Pondei confessed: “We used it to take care of ourselves. We are NDDC, we need to take care of ourselves too,” he said, adding that, “only N1.5 billion was used to take care of staff.”

“Aside that, some of the nauseating expenditures that have come to light include: N1.3bn on community relations, N122.9m on condolences, N83m on consultancy and N3.14bn on COVID-19, N486m Duty Travel Allowance, N790.9m as imprest, N1.956bn on Lassa Fever, N900m on Legal Service, N220m on maintenance, N85.6m on foreign travels, N1.121bn on public projects communication, N744m on security, N8.8bn on staffing-related payment and N248m on stakeholders’ engagement from February 18 to May 31, 2020.

“As the Daily Trust newspaper of July 21, 2020, reported: “The Auditor-General (of the Federation) Anthony Ayine and the representative of the Accountant-General, Sabo Mohammed, confirmed the N81.5bn transactions being investigated. Ayine said there should be punitive measures to discourage agencies violating the Constitution.”

“The evidence of Corruption and mismanagement by Akpabio and his IMC are clear for everyone to see. What remains is what the National Assembly and President Buhari make of this gross abuse of office by Akpabio and the IMC.

“However, Nigerians are resolved that Akpabio and the IMC members do not deserve to remain in those offices anymore. We are watching.

Vanguard