The Senate, has on Wednesday, linked the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to the alleged misappropriation of funds of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, over the years.
The Senate, had on May 5, set up a 7-member Ad-Hoc Committee to probe the alleged misappropriation of N40 billion, by the Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the NDDC.
The Chairman of the Committee, Olubunmi Adetunmbi, disclosed that the Panel would carry out a holistic investigation on all issues relating to the alleged misapplication and misappropriation of the N40 billion by the NDDC.
He said that the Panel has four weeks to report back to the plenary.
However, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who made some documents on the alleged involvement of the Minister in financial misappropriation in the NDDC available to Journalists, on Wednesday, alleged that in 2017, Akpabio collected contracts worth N500 million from the Commission, without execution.
He said: “In a letter dated August 7, 2017, addressed to the Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC, Akpabio requested that 5 projects worth N500 million be added to the budget.
“Akpabio as Minority Leader of the Senate, then used his Office to include projects not budgeted for in the Appropriation bill. The projects as clearly stated in the letter, include, fencing the Federal Polytechnic Ukana, Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, at the cost of N200 million.
“Others are fencing of Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene (Old site), Akwa North-West Senatorial District. Entrepreneurship training on the use of modern farming implementation of Youths in Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, at the cost of N75 million.”