In what could be termed a desperate move to have a fraudulent contract worth over N30billion paid, Minister for Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio has appointed an interim Board made up of his cronies, same day President Mohammadu Buhari sent the names of substantive board of the agency to the Senate for confirmation.
Buhari had sent the list of nominees for Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the Senate for consideration and approval.
The NDDC’s Board nominees include the Chairman, Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo); Managing Director, Bernard O. Okumagba (Delta); Executive Director Projects, Engr. Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom); Executive Director Finance and Admin, Maxwell Okoh (Bayelsa); Delta State representative, Prophet Jones Erue; Chief Victor Ekhatar (Edo); Dr. Joy Yimebe Nunieh (Rivers); and Nwogu Nwogu Abia.
However, after his failed bid to have the Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Dr. Akwagaga Enyia, approve a N30billion payment and cover up some shady deals, Akpabio illegally appointed some known contractors of the agency as interim Directors.
Akpabio, without clearance from President Buhari and without constitutional backings, appointed Joy Nunieh to head a three man management team to manage the affairs of NDDC until the forensic audit is concluded and the new executive board brought in.
Others are Dr Cairo Ojugbo as Acting Interim Executive Director Projects, and Bassey Effang as Actg Interim Executive Director of Finance and Administration.
Sources told pointblanknews.com that both Countries Ojugbo and Nunieh are known contractors at the NDDC who have pending files for payment at the agency.
Sources further revealed that the trio were brought in to cover shady deals perpetrated by Nsima Ekere, Nelson Braimbraifa who both looted the agency of N240billion and N200billion respectively when they served as MD.
Akpabio have been piling pressure on Dr. Enyia, to pay N30billion to an unnamed contractor.
Sources confirmed to pointblanknews.com that since here appointment, Mrs. Enyia has been struggling to contain pressures being mounted on her by Akpabio to pay contractors and have lately been avoiding accepting the Ministers several calls to her phone.
An insider source told pointblanknews.com that in one conversation, Akpabio asked the Acting MD of NDDC, “don’t you like money, don’t you want to make money”?
Akpabio has been recently linked with an attempt to shield Nsima Ekere and Nelson Brainbamfa who together looted over N450billion through phony emergency contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, when they served as Managing Directors, inside sources toldpointblanknews.com
Sources at the NDDC hinted Pointblanknews.com that as soon as President Mohammadu Buhari announced a forensic audit of the accounts of the intervention agency, Ekere and Braimbraifa rushed to Akpabio to seek protection.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that after separate meetings between Akpabio, Ekere, and Braimbraifa, the Niger Delta Minister resolved to recommend to Buhari that local Auditors be contracted to do the forensic audit of the NDDC.
Documents seen by Pointblanknews.comand information from insiders show an unprecedented pattern of sleaze, fraud, involving the award of phony emergency contracts that never existed or were never done but payments approved.
According to Pointblanknews.cominvestigations, Ekere who assumed office as the MD of the NDDC in 2016, collected a total sum of N500billion, out of which he approved for N240billion for phony emergency contracts.
Sources told pointblanknews.com that after three years as MD where he has built a war chest of over N240billion from shady contract deals, Ekere quit the NDDC, used part of the proceeds to run for the Governorship of Akwa Ibom state under the platform of the All Progressive Congress, APC. He lost the elections to the PDP.
After Ekere left the NDDC, Professor Nelson Braimbaifa was appointed as a replacement in February 2019.
