*NDDC Is NASS’ Farmland Says Ojougboh
By Onome Oghenetega
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has reaffirmed the position of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, that saying it has the lists of contracts awarded to members of both chambers of the National Assembly.
Ojougboh spoke at the palace of the Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien on Friday during a courtesy call on the monarch, prior to the launch of a N450 million police equipment fund sponsored by the commission.
The Executive Director of Projects alleged that members of NASS in the past 20 years saw the NDDC as a farm and not an interventionist agency.
He alleged that NASS members perpetrated the fraud that ruined the commission through the Office of the Secretary to Federal Government (SGF).
He said since the commencement of the probe of NDDC by NASS, members were yet to indict the IMC, adding that the aim of NASS members was return the commission from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) to SGF office in order to continue the sleaze.
Ojougboh indicted the senator representing Delta north, Peter Nwaoboshi, alleging that his factory in Asaba was the warehouse where other lawmakers receive NDDC contracts.
“Look at our son, Nwaoboshi, his factory is the warehouse of NDDC, they will award the contract, they will now say they received the contract in his factory.
“We have the list of the contracts given to NASS members, all of them were collected through Mutu, Nwaoboshi, Manager and Ojo.
“What the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs said was very right, he did not recant, that is what people don’t understand.
“He said since we came, we have not awarded any contract. Therefore the Ninth Assembly is not involved, the involvement of the Ninth Assembly is through Ojo.
“In the probe, NASS members are the contractors, they are the judge, they are the prosecutors and they are the jailers.
“That is the country we find ourselves. If this country must move improve, we must look at NASS, and I will tell them where to go at NASS,” Ojougboh told the monarch.
He said the money that was paid into his account is for a trip coming up later in September, explaining that the trip was postponed to September as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The trip was postponed because of the COVID-19 event. So the University of Coventry wrote to say that they will wait until the government relaxes the travel ban before the ceremonies and graduation of students will take place,” he added.