Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, has denied accusing members of the National Assembly of collecting 60 per cent of the contracts at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The minister, in a letter read on the floor of the House of Representatives, during Plenary, on Thursday, said the only reference he made to 60 per cent during his presentation before the NDDC committee, on Monday, was in response to a question by a member of the committee.
Akpabio’s letter was read to the lawmakers by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
He said the member had sought to know whether a Medical Director could serve as an Executive Director Project, to which he responded by saying that since 50 to 60 per cent of NDDC contracts were medical related, there was nothing wrong in a Medical Director serving in that capacity.
Akpabio also said that the Executive Director Project of the NDDC forwarded to him a list of 19 owed contracts which the Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC insisted must be paid before the 2020 budget of the commission is passed.
He also said that the NDDC has jot executed any contract under the 2020 budget since it has not been passed, while the 2019 budget was passed in April and has not been implemented
Speaker Gbajabiamila, however, referred the letter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
