Senator Peter Nwoaboshi representing Delta North senatorial district
By Corereporters
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, has debunked allegation by the Niger Delta Minister, Senator Godwill Akpabio that he was awarded 53 contracts by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2018. He described the allegation as false.
In a statement he signed on Monday, titled, “Re: Allegations of NDDC Contract Award to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Chairman: Senate Committee On Niger Delta) by the Hon. Min of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.” Nwaoboshi challenged Akpabio to send details of the projects listed against his name to the anti-graft agencies in the country if he was sure of his facts.
Senator Nwaoboshi alleged that the former governor of Akwa Ibom state was deliberately blackmailing him to divert public attention from the alleged serious mismanagement of the NDDC by the Interim Management Committee under his supervision.
Meanwhile, the former minority leader of the 8th Senate had in a document attached to the letter he sent to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, in line with the ultimatum given by the speaker, to name the beneficiaries of his claim during his appearance before the House Committee on the NDDC investigative hearing that 60 per cent of the NDDC jobs were awarded to National Assembly members, alleged that Nwaoboshi got 53 contracts from the NDDC in 2018.
“I wish to state unequivocally that this allegation has no bearing with the truth and challenge Mr Akpabio to send the so-called list to anti-graft and other security agencies if he can substantiate the apparently baseless allegation.
“Indeed I would have made further comments but for the fact that the matter is currently before two competent courts of law.
“However, suffice it to say that this unsubstantiated allegation is in line with Mr Akpabio’s well-known agenda to continuously blackmail me so as to keep diverting public attention from the serious mismanagement of the NDDC by the Interim Management Committee under his supervision and under the guise of a phantom forensic audit that has no operating timeline.
“My advise to Mr Akpabio and the IMC is to focus their energy on explaining to Nigerians how they spent a whopping N81.5bn within a period of five months”
Nwaoboshi alleged that IMC spent N58m on refreshment/logistics for project verification paid to IMC and staff of the agency.
“Mr Akpabio and his IMC should apologise to the Niger Delta people in particular and Nigerians in general for this grand wastage arising from their crass incompetence.
“As a realist, I am confident that a day will come when Mr. Akpabio and his IMC will have a date with the law.
“I will in the meantime express my unwavering commitment to improving the lots of our people in the Niger Delta, supporting quality legislation in the National Assembly, and working for a society every Nigerian can be proud of.
“This is my mission in politics and I would not be distracted by the antics of political mudslingers and their agents.” He boasted.
