NDDC PROBE: N’DELTA MINISTER, AKPABIO, SAYS HE DOES NOT AWARD CONTRACTS
The Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio says he has only awarded one contract since his appointment on the 21st of August 2019.
Speaking on Day 2 of the Investigative Hearing on the Alleged Financial Recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC], the Minister said the only contract he has had a hand in since assuming office is that on the COVID-19 intervention in the region.
Galaxy’s Godfrey Eshiemoghie reports that the Minister told the Senate ad-hoc Committee, Friday, that the actual contract of the COVID-19 Intervention of N5Billion which was subsequently cancelled by him after he sensed some shoddy dealings that brought the contract cost to over N5Billion.
Senator Akpabio told the ad-hoc Committee that he had never been in the picture as regards expenditure by the different leadership of the NDDC IMC.
In the light of this, he called for a thorough review of the budgeting system for the Niger Delta Ministry as part of measures to address the noted budgetary concerns.
In responding to the questions from a cross-section of the ad-hoc Committee members, the Minister stated that the ongoing forensic audit on the NDDC will address the years of rot in the Commission.
At the close of the Investigative Hearing, the Chairman of the ad-hoc Committee said the task before it is not about finding purportedly missing money, but to ensure the NDDC works to meet the yearnings of people of the region.
Speaking on Day 2 of the Investigative Hearing on the Alleged Financial Recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission [NDDC], the Minister said the only contract he has had a hand in since assuming office is that on the COVID-19 intervention in the region.
Galaxy’s Godfrey Eshiemoghie reports that the Minister told the Senate ad-hoc Committee, Friday, that the actual contract of the COVID-19 Intervention of N5Billion which was subsequently cancelled by him after he sensed some shoddy dealings that brought the contract cost to over N5Billion.
Senator Akpabio told the ad-hoc Committee that he had never been in the picture as regards expenditure by the different leadership of the NDDC IMC.
In the light of this, he called for a thorough review of the budgeting system for the Niger Delta Ministry as part of measures to address the noted budgetary concerns.
In responding to the questions from a cross-section of the ad-hoc Committee members, the Minister stated that the ongoing forensic audit on the NDDC will address the years of rot in the Commission.
At the close of the Investigative Hearing, the Chairman of the ad-hoc Committee said the task before it is not about finding purportedly missing money, but to ensure the NDDC works to meet the yearnings of people of the region.
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