As feud between the Nigerian Senate and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Ministry deepens over the alleged NDDC N40 billion scam, the Upper Chamber has challenged the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio, to take a step further to make evidence of allegations against the institution public.
Senate was reacting through its Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Development Commission, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi in a statement sent to DAILY POST in Abuja on Monday.
Nwaoboshi said the Minister had been irked by Senate’s insistence on probing the alleged N40 billion scam, thereby making him to resort to routine blackmail of the red chamber which was out to carry its oversight functions.
He urged the Minister to further stop the National embarrassment, saying that “the allegations of N1 billion monthly remittances and about 1,000 contract awards to the Committee Chairman were blatant lies.”
“Moreso, it is uncharitable and a condemnable low of smear campaigns against members of the Senate, for churning out blatant lies that N1 billion was being given to them monthly.”
The statement, which was signed by Luka Igbonoba Special Assistant on Legislative Matters/Media Matters to Senator Peter Nwaoboshi was in response to a press conference by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC which alleged that:
“Eleven companies which were used in executing contracts in the Niger Delta Development Commission were owned by Distinguished Senator Peter Nwaoboshi.
Nwaoboshi further clarified: “These are companies that he does not know nor had anything to do with.
The lawmaker urged that a search be carried out to ascertain ownership of companies NDDC claimed he used for contracts.
According to him, “It was clear that the NDDC officials own those companies that were used in siphoning the fund,” noting that Senate would not leave any stone unturned in probing the agency.
He accused the Minister of using the press release to cook false stories which Nigerians are already aware, emphasising that Akpabio got it wrong this time.
