Akpabio Names Orji Kalu, James Ibori, Emma Uduaghan As Beneficiaries Of NDDC Contracts

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio has reportedly named two former governors of Delta State, Emmanuel Uduaghan and James Ibori, as beneficiaries of some projects executed by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In a letter sent to the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, the minister also mentioned some lawmakers, including Orji Uzor Kalu and Ifeanyi Ararume, both from Abia and Imo state respectively, as those with links to NDDC contracts.

Punch reports that the letter, which was also copied to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, was addressed to the Clerk to the House, Mr Patrick Giwa, with Reference Number MNDA/HM/04/IV/158.

It was titled, ‘Some Niger Delta Development Commission Contracts Allegedly Given to Some Members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives).’

The emergency repairs projects linked to them, according to the document obtained by Punch, were awarded in 2018 at a cost which ranges from N400m and N560m each.

One of the projects linked to Ibori was the emergency repairs of Onoghove community road from Ajanesan to Western Delta University at the cost of N485.7m.

Uduaghan was linked to the emergency repairs of Close B, Alhaji Estate & Environs, Rumuodomaya, Port Harcourt at the cost of N429m.

Five projects were linked to Kalu, who was identified in the document as OUK-Kalu (the project source).

The emergency repairs on road projects linked to Kalu are in Abia State, and the costs ranged from N517m to N560m.

The details are Emergency repairs of Ezere-Acha-Ndiokoukwu Road (N517.9m) and repairs of Amaubiri-Eluama-Uru Ring Road, Lokpaukwu, Umuchieze (N560m).

Others linked to Kalu are Ndi Oji Abam-Atan Road (N523.7m), Okafia-Ozuitem-Bende road (508m), and the Ozu-Amuru-Abam Road at the cost of N523.4m.

The cost of the 12 projects linked to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, located in Imo and Rivers states, were not indicated in the documents.

The NDDC document, however, listed some the projects to include, emergency repairs of Umuelemai-Aba branch road, Anara-Okwelle-Umuna Road, Okpara-Road junction-Ogili Community all in Imo State.

KanyiDaily recalls that Femi Gbajabiamila had asked Akpabio to name the beneficiaries of the contracts or be sued after he alleged that over 60 percent of contracts of the NDDC were given out to members of the National Assembly.

Before now, Akpabio had issued a letter containing the names of four senators who received 74 contracts from the NCDC between 2017 to date.