*That Senate, Reps C’ttee chairmen awarded emergency contracts worth N2trn

*Reveals that NDDC contracts were like winning lottery

*That N700m contract can be executed with N10 to N20m

As controversy continues to trail alleged financial sleaze in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, the Executive Director, Projects of the Commission, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh disclosed how Chairmen of Senate and House of Reps Committees on NDDC influenced contracts worth trillions of Naira.

In a viral video not verified by Nigerian Pilot, Ojougboh said that before now, getting contract at the NDDC was like winning lottery and accused the past management of the Commission of being responsible for deep-rooted corruption in the Commission.

It would be recalled that the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC is enmeshed in series of corruption allegations being investigated by both chamber of the National Assembly.

According to the Project Director, NDDC could award a project of N700 million to a contractor and it would be executed with just N10 or N20 million.

“Between 2016 and 2019, emergency contracts of over N2 trillion were awarded under the supervision of the chairmen of both committees.

“The Chairman of Senate Committee on NDDC collected 1,000 of those jobs and said he was going to give it to the Senate. The records are there. The 1,000 contracts were collected by a man called Nelson Agbamuche on behalf of the Senate.

“The immediate crisis that came was as a result of the budget. How did the budget run into a problem? It was in 2016. The bureaucracy told us when we came in that there was no budget from 2016 to 2018. The budget for 2019 was just passed some few days ago. What led to it?

“A Chairman of Senate in 2015 called the bureaucracy that they need to include for him a N15 billion project in the budget. The bureaucracy said it was fair enough, went behind and worked it out. When they came back, the chairman said I didn’t say N15 billion. I said N150 billion.

“The bureaucracy went back and they couldn’t comply because there was no way they could do that. The chairman went back to the bureaucracy asking them to award emergency contracts without due process. That was how the emergency procedures were breached and the commission now has a commitment of over N3 trillion. How can this continue?

“We were no paying as they used to. So, the contractors are very angry. Normally, once you have a contract in NDDC, it is like you have won a lottery. A contract that they will award for you in NDDC for N700 million, you can use N10 or N20 million to do it”, ojougboh disclosed.

Corroborating Ojougboh’s allegations, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio last Monday told members of the House of Representatives panel probing NDDC that most of the contracts awarded by the Commission went to National Assembly members.

Reacting to Akpabio’s allegations, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila told him to name members of the National Assembly that were awarded contracts by NDDC within 48 hours or face the law

As at the time of filing this report, the 48 hours had elapsed and there was not report that Akpabio has submitted any name to the Speaker.

SOURCE: http://nigerianpilot.com/rot-in-nddc-ojougboh-opens-up-says-senate-nddc-cttee-chair-requested-for-n150bn-contract/