The existing supposed relationship of checks and balance between the IMC and the NASS has without doubt been characterized with attacks and counter attacks from both ends lately.
Following the ongoing probe against the IMC audit team, it could be recalled that Dr Cairo Ojougboh, executive director of projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has earlier said that getting a contract at the agency is like winning a lottery".
As the agency, which could be best defined as an eye in the present storm over a series of allegations revolving around corruption and being investigated by the national assembly, an interview with Arise Television dated May 25th 2020, which features Dr Cairo Ojougboh has accusatorily revealed that the past managements of the commission are being responsible for deep-seated corruption in NDDC.
According to the IMC's EDP Boss, The agency prior the inception of the IMC could award a project worth N700 million to a contractor but would unfortunately be executed with just a sum of N10 million naira which is not even a percentage of the total amount given alongside output expected.
Further said, “Between 2016 and 2019, emergency contracts of over N2 trillion were awarded under the supervision of the chairmen of both committees,” Ojugboh revealed in his interview .
According to Dr Cairo, “The chairman of senate committee collected one thousand 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".
Also speaking on the IMC's crisis, he also asserted that “The immediate crisis that came was as a result of the budget". And further making his points clearer as percieved , the crisis all began with a problem that can be traced to NDDC 2016's budget.
According to him, "The bureaucracy told us when we came in that there was no budget from 2016 to 2018. Still, The budget for 2019 was just passed some few days ago. What led to it?.
Infact, “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 and therefore went behind and worked it out. When they came back, the chairman said I didn’t say N15 billion. I said N150 billion".
In response to the chairman's displeasure, “The bureaucracy went back but they couldn’t comply because there was no way they could do that. Notwithstanding the difficulty earlier experienced, "The chairman went back to the bureaucracy asking them to award emergency contracts without due process. And that was how the emergency procedures were breached thereby leaving the commission with over a N3 trillion commitment. How much more can this continue?"-He asked in grief.
Further said, “We were not paying as they used to. So, the contractors became 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.”
Meanwhile , speaking before the house of representatives committee probing the commission on Monday 20th July'20, Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, has confirmed previous ulterations by Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh as regards to NDDC contract sharing and hijacking by members of the NASS. In his words, " Most of the contracts awarded by the NDDC are given to the National Assembly Members".
More interesting facts to be revealed.
Culled from
Niger Delta Today
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