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…Senators Manager, Uroghide, Nwaoboshi absolve selves
…Urhobos, Ijaws, Itsekiris demand scrapping of IMC
…Buhari remains unusually silent
By Emman Ovuakporie
Since the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio secretly revealed the names of lawmakers allegedly involved in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC contract scams it has been a season of denials.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) in this analysis brings to fore how lawmakers in a bid to rubbish Akpabio’s list of alleged contract scammers have been denying their roles in the massive looting of NDDC.
The situation took a dramatic turn when Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila apparently forgetting that there’s espirit de corps in the parliament ordered Akpabio to submit the names of lawmakers he alleged got most contracts from the interventionist government body.
Akpabio had alleged during an investigative hearing on July 20 that 60percent of contracts of the body were given to lawmakers.
This did not go down well with the lawmakers who threatened to sue Akpabio if within 24hours he fails to submit the list.
The Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris too had in various statements called for the outright scrapping of Akpabio’s Interim Management Committee.
Sensing the danger ahead, Akpabio denied exonerating the ninth Assembly and listed other assembies including himself who was part of the eighth Assembly.
Senators Matthew Uroghide, James Manager and Peter Nwaoboshi in different statements denied any form of self enrichment from NDDC contracts.
TNG will x-ray their various statements below in snippets
*Akpabio is a serial liar-Sen Nwaoboshi
*Akpabio is wicked and mischievious -Sen Uroghide
*I sincerely in the name of God request for proof of evidence-Sen Manager
The commonality in their various statements is denial as they all demanded for proof of evidence that they were involved.
The member of the House that his name was very visible and was alleged to have garnered 74 contracts, Hon Nicholas Mutu has remained silent.
The Urhobos, Ijaws and Itsekiris who are predominantly host communities of crude oil deposits in the Niger Delta Region have called for the scrapping of Akpabio’s IMC.
In a briefing on Monday in Abuja, the President of Urhobo Leadership Forum, Olorogun Jonathan Esin in his statement demanded for an immediate scrapping of IMC.
Chief Esin said “In order to bring the rot and looting in the NDDC to an end and reposition it to effectively deliver on its statutory responsibilities, the ULFA hereby recommends as follows:
“That sensitive positions in the NDDC management, such as the Managing Director/CEO, should henceforth not be given to active partisan political actors.
“Nevertheless, in light of the exigencies of the moment, the members of the Board earlier screened by the Senate, should be sworn-in without delay to enable the Commission settle quickly into its role,
“A competent and reputable external audit firm should be engaged after the inauguration of the Board to execute the forensic audit of the Commission including top management officials since the inception of the NDDC.
“The recommendations of the National Assembly’s investigation of the NDDC Interim Management Committee should be acted upon by the Executive branch of Government without delay,
“All persons involved in financial embezzlement and misappropriation should face the penalty imposed by law, including forfeiture of improperly acquired wealth,
“The audited accounts and reports of the NDDC should be undertaken and made available as stipulated by the enabling Act, 46 Government should strengthen the Commission’s financial management and internal control system. For example, in the implementation of the Procurement Act provisions against contract splitting should be rigorously enforced,
“All major contracts or projects should be handled by reputable contracting firms, preferably in which the Niger Delta indigenes have substantial stakes,
“Projects locations, completion status and costs should be regularly published on the NDDC portal and such information should be made available to the Niger Delta State Governments and the LGAS,
“The Local Content of every project should be visibly verifiable.
“The Commission should concentrate on mega projects with impact across create its own problems.
“Therefore, this matter should be handled with the seriousness, equity and justice the situation demands so that there is no the Niger Delta area,
“That NDDC must not be scrapped. The ULFA cautions that such an action will relapse or degeneration into the destructive militancy that predated the establishment of the NDDC.
In all these developments, President Muhamnadu Buhari has remained unusually silent.
The only reaction from the presidency is the denial that the IMC had not been scrapped as published in some communications channels last week.
So far so good on NDDC it has been a gallore of denials.