The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has denied an allegation of fraudulent contract purportedly signed by a director of the intervention agency.

It reported recently that NDDC approved N5,474,647,125.00 for procurement of Personal Protective Equipment for health workers and provision of community-based sensitisation campaign against the spread of COVID-19 to a company named Signora Concept Services Limited.

But the commission in a statement noted that it has been inundated by a lot of accusation online that the contract of N5. 55 billion was signed by its director of procurement of PPE.

According to the statement, “given the extent of public interest and the determination of the Interim Management Committee to chart a new course for the commission, we feel duty bound to respond.

“The online publications are circulating a letter purportedly issued by the Director of Procurement awarding a contract of N5.55 billion for the procurement of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and other kits to fight the spread of COVID 19 in the Niger Delta region. We wish to unequivocally deny that contract.”

The document, the statement further said is simply fake or at best unauthorised. The letters for all contracts awarded by the Commission are signed by the Executive Director, Projects on the authority of the Ag Managing Director who is the chief accounting officer of the Commission. Neither of the officials is aware of the contract letter.

“It is inconceivable that a contract and of such magnitude could be awarded otherwise. The Commission has launched an internal investigation into how such a letter came to be issued and on what authority.”

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For the purpose of transparency, the commission said: “we wish to confirm that the Commission has just secured presidential approval to intervene by assisting NCDC in the supply of kits and the building of isolation centres in the nine Niger Delta states.

“Also, the Commission has disbursed N775m to assist the 9 Niger Delta States fight the plague. We have also disbursed N270 million as palliatives to the youths, women and the physically challenged in the 27 senatorial districts of the region.

“There are claims that the present management has paid out huge sums for contracts to supply kits and drugs for the prevention of Lassa Fever. We wish to state that this present management has not awarded any Lassa fever contract. From the records, the Commission awarded three contracts for intervention against the Lassa Fever scourge and all these took place in 2019, at least one year before the present management came into office.”

For the purpose of transparency, the Commission disclosed that in early 2019, there was an outbreak of Lassa Fever in Ondo and Edo states, which overwhelmed the capacity of the state governments to cope.

The governor of Ondo State made a request to the Commission for intervention. As a result, the then management, headed by Prof Nelson Braimbaifa on 20th February 2019 awarded a contract for the procurement of 21,000 Lassa Fever prevention kits for the region in the sum of N903 million. The items were supplied and distributed. The contractor was duly paid. As the scourge persisted, there was need for further intervention. Another 1,000 protective kits were ordered for N1,092,283,500. This contract was awarded on March 11, 2019.

The last contract for Lassa Fever was awarded on April 16, 2019 in the sum of N2,425,242,248. All the kits were supplied and distributed to the nine states. As at date, the Commission is yet to pay for this last contract. Payments had been suspended on ministerial order due to the need for verification of past contracts. At no time did the IMC pay out more than N4 billion for Lassa Fever contracts as alleged.

Having provided the facts, the Commission has noticed an upsurge in  attacks on the NDDC. These attacks are meant to distract the commission from the task of holding those who looted the commonwealth to account.

However, it is believed that those who took part in the grand conspiracy to loot the commonwealth are jittery that their misdeeds will come to light.

Vanguard