Prof. Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, the Acting Managing Director of
the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has listed some contracts
the commission allegedly paid for under duress before its 2019 annual
budget was approved.
Pondei who alleged that some lawmakers, especially members of adhoc
Committees have held the Commission hostage over the years with the
annual budget approval, also disclosed that they were arm-twisted to pay
for some contracts that “were never done or sometimes, never
completed.”
In a statement released by his Special Adviser on Media, Edgar
Ebigoni, the contracts and benefitting firms were listed as follows;
Kith Global Ventures Ltd; Remedial Works at New Ogorode Roads Lot 3,
at the cost of N493,684,169.00 and paid on the 17/03/2020, 301 Constr.
Ltd; Remedial Works at Nja Road to Akoku Uno Lot 1, at the cost of
N350,027,919.80 and paid on the 17/03/2020. Cracked Stone Constr. Ltd;
Remedial Works at Ajaolubeti Road Environs Lot 2 at the cost of
N394,010,952.10 and paid on the 17/03/2020. Collincrystal Energy Ltd;
Emergency at Benin Township Road Lot 7, at the cost of N 431,053.035.20
and paid on the 17/03/2020. Collincrystal Energy Ltd; Emergency at Benin
Township Road Lot 3, at the cost of N361,357,276.20 and paid on the
17/03/2020 and Grapik Ltd; Emergency at Umudee Internal Road, at the
cost of N207,673,107.70 and paid the 17/03/2020.
Others were, Southland Constr. Ltd; Remedial Works at Umuduru Chukwu
Umuorlu Road, at the cost of N518,409,089.30 and paid on paid on
the17/03/2020. Southland Constr. Ltd; Remedial Works at Umuduru, at the
cost of N519,949,949.10 and paid on the 17/03/2020.
Grandfox Global Services Ltd; Emergency at Ope Road Okigwe LGA, at
the cost of N580,438,578.00 and paid on the 17/03/2020. Collincrystal
Energy Ltd; Emergency at Benin Town Road Lot 6, at the cost of
N348,853,184.60 and paid on the 7/03/2020 and Crism Constr. Building
Ltd; Emergency at Eziama Osuama International Roads Isiala Mbano LGA, at
the cost of N561,592,377.80 and paid on the17/03/2020.
Also paid were, Argento Ltd; Emergency at Benin Township Road Lot 4,
at the cost of N382,805,411.60 and paid on the 18/03/2020. Two Rocks
Cont. Ltd; Remedial Works at New Ogorode Road Lot 4, N500,875,848.00 and
paid on the 18/03/2020. Elkan Zibson Ltd; Emergency Repairs of failed
and unmotorable sections of Ezumoha Internal Roads Isiala Mbano LGA, at
the cost of N531,150,414.29 and paid on the 19/03/2020. Cracked Stone
Constr. Ltd; Remedial works on Failed and Unmotorable sections of Benin
Township Road Lot 8, at the cost of N417,806,787.01 and paid on the
19/03/2020. PDH Global Logistics Ltd; Emergency Repairs of Failed and
Unmotorable sections of Umuezuo Umuagbavu Road Remedy Failed and
unmotorable sections of Chikwe Orlu Street Environment, at the cost of
N543,247,587.35 and paid on the 20/03/2020. Aritel Oil and Gas; Remedy
Failed and Motorable sections of Chikwe Orlu Street Environment, at the
cost of N550,100,132.34 and paid on the 24/03/202.
Dis Concept and Solutions Ltd; Urgently Remedy Failed and Un
motorable sections of Jessy and Jenny Road off peter Odily Road PHC, at
the cost of N476,794,367.22 and paid on the 26/03/2020. Ogugo Concept
and Solutions Ltd; Emergency Repairs of Failed and Unmotorable sections
of Environs Yenagoa LGA, at the cost of N300,029,695.14 and paid on the
26/03/2020. Webster Global ventures Ltd; Instruction of emergency
Repairs of failed and unmotorable sections Benin Township Road Lot 2
Oredo LGA, at the cost of N357,242,054.35 and paid on the 26/03/2020.
Webster Global ventures Ltd; Remedial Works of Failed and unmotorable
sections of Akuku Illah Road Oshimili North LGA, at the cost of N
463,489,890.13 and paid on the 26/03/2020 and Webster Global ventures
Ltd; Remedial Works of failed and Unmotorable sections of New Ogorode
Road Lot2 Sapele LGA, at the cost of N 466,416,380.71 and paid on the
26/03/2020.
The statement added;
"This blackmail scheme explains why the 2019 Budget of the NDDC was
passed by the NASS Committee in March, 2020”, adding that, “we are
talking about a budget that was billed to expire in May, 2020. This
implication is that the management of the NDDC had only five weeks, to
implement the budget of one fiscal year, and present a performance
report on the same budget.
“This scheme has continued to play out, because as at this Month of
August 2020, the budget of the NDDC for the 2020 fiscal year has not
been passed by the Joint National Assembly Committee on NDDC. Sadly,
nobody seems to care to ask questions because people are falling for the
well-scripted smokescreen playing out in the two Chambers of the
National Assembly.
"This document, is among the many others tendered before the NASS
Committee, which never saw the light of the day, and which the NDDC
Committee were never allowed to speak on, when they eventually appeared
before the Committee, during the public hearing. It was based on this
evidential claim that the IMC of NDDC staged a walk-out, on the first
day they were to testify before the Committee.
“The details of this list can be verified from the Central Bank of Nigeria, through a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request.
“Indeed, the same allegation informed the reason all well-meaning
Nigerians urged the Committee Chairman, Hon. Tunji-Ojo to recuse himself
from the Chairmanship of that hearing. This is in keeping with the Nemo
judex in causa sua, which is a Latin phrase that upholds the principle
of natural justice that no one can judge a case in which they have an
interest”.
"It is very unfortunate that against all objective appeals and moral
persuasions, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, alongside some other accused
members of the House Committee on NDDC, proceeded to hold a public
hearing, which was initially slated for two days, being the 15th and
16th of July 2020, but which effectively ran till 20th of the month,
only for him to decide, at his own pace and time, to recuse himself from
the hearing, on the last day, an action which cast a dark shade on the
entire public.
“This is because, the same reason for which he recused himself on the
last day was enough for him to steer clear from the matter, ab initio.
The foregoing points to a clear fact that the Committee set out to do a
bidding, that was never in the interest of the public. They obviously
needed a public hearing to tell the public what they wanted the public
to hear, rather than the facts of the matter.
“The Spokesperson the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu,
on a National Television Programme, recently, admitted publicly, that
Contractors often approached Chairmen of the House Committees and the
members, to use their office to compel MDAs to pay them. This definitely
should be the new height of the abuse of the oath of office they swore,
not to allow their personal interest interfere with the discharge of
their official duties.
“Recall that since these allegations were first made by the Acting
Executive Director, Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh on National Television,
Hon. Olubumni Tunji-Ojo has not deemed it fit to discountenance the
allegations by way of a law suit”.
|
