GROUP GIVES NASS ULTIMATUM TO CONTINUE HEARING ON NDDC, NOTES MINISTER, NDDC AG.MD’S RESPONSE AS CHILDISH & WATERY

 

 

By Lazarus Zakaa

 

The Emerging Leaders Forum of Nigeria (ELFON) in an emergency press briefing this afternoon the 22nd day of July, 2020 in Abuja expressed disappointment over the drama that happened at the national assembly on Monday, 20th July, 2020 during the probe panel on NDDC sitting.

The ELFON National President; Hon. Godstime Chukwubuikem Samuel while addressing the gentlemen of the press of different genres said:
“We watched and listened with great disappointment the watery, unsatisfactory response of the Minister for Niger Delta and MD NDDC in the last investigative hearing on NDDC by the House of Representatives.

The comic act of fainting by the Acting MD of NDDC is really shameful, childish and intended to insult the sensibility of Nigerians.

In trying to divert public attention the Minister, tried to play up sentiments rather than addressing the issue”.

The ELFON Boss in his statement said that ELFON therefore join the House of Representatives in calling on the Minister of Niger Delta to publish names of House of Representatives Members of the 9th Assembly who they awarded contracts to as this is a huge allegation that can’t be swept under the carpet.

We assure Nigerians if the Publication is done and found to be true, we shall mobilize to invade the homes of such lawmakers and recover Nigerian money by ourselves, Godstime promised.

This is 3.25pm today the 22nd Day of July 2020, we wish to remind Akpabio that 28hrs is gone and only 20hours left to do so.

No amount of fainting or deceit should stop the probe as Nigerian Youths are desirous of seeing the investigative process taken to its logical conclusion.

Godstime noted that Godswill Akpabio shamefully swallowed his words and agreed that only the lead consultant has been procured and engaged while procurement of others is still in process, contrary to what he told Nigerians earlier.

While the NDDC interim management committee claimed they have not awarded any contract since they came, the Minister in another breathe said he has only approved three contracts for the commission under the Prof. Pondei’s led administration of NDDC IMC. Such disheartening discordant tune suggests fraud and lack of ability to cover their tracks.

We wish to further state that no forensic audit has started and Senator Akpabio is telling lies since only 1 out of 10 auditors designed to handle the forensic auditing job has been cleared. He should bear in mind that NDDC is not “Uyo Commission”. Nigerians shouldn’t forget in a hurry the rationale behind the creation of the NDDC in the year 2000 by Former President Olusegun Obasanjo with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. One of the core mandates of the Commission is to train and educate the youths of the oil rich Niger Delta regions to curb hostilities and militancy, while developing key infrastructure to promote diversification and productivity but it is now an avenue for some selfish politicians and few individuals to feast on the finances to the scorn of the Niger Delta Region, Godstime continued.

In this regards, ELFON made demands as follows:

1. That the House Committee on NDDC reconvene and Commence their probe immediately within 7days, failure of which we will mobilize Nigerian youths and Emerging Leaders to invade the House of Representatives to ask our representatives obvious questions.

2. Call on the Minister of Niger Delta to publish the names of beneficiaries of NDDC contracts both from National Assembly, The Presidency, the SGF and Minister of Niger Delta’s Office within the remaining 20hrs left.

3. That all scholarship monies fraudulently diverted to private pockets in NDDC should immediately be returned to the ICPC for onward transfer to poor suffering Nigerian students overseas and such staff should be prosecuted as call for the immediate arrest of the NDDC Executive director Projects; Dr Cairo who we have on record, whispered to Acting MD of NDDC; Prof. Pondei to faint.

5. The Acting MD of NDDC should within 48hrs publish the names of staff/persons whom benefited from the looting he called cash palliatives.

6. names of all the beneficiaries of the money meant for students scholarship should be published.

Our demands are public oriented and we will not take it lightly should Akpabio or Members of the house of Representatives fails to comply as demanded, ELFON Boss warned.

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