NDDC Crisis: Akpabio Names Orji Kalu, Uduaghan, James Ibori In Contract Scandal

Posted by African Examiner African News, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, August 3rd, 2020

By Nwa Diokpa

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has named two former governors of Delta State, James Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan, and a former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, as parts of those who benefitted from contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Also linked to the contracts in the letter submitted to the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, is a former lawmaker for the Imo North (Okigwe) constituency of Imo State, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume.

It will be recalled that a list had appeared earlier containing names of Senators and House of Representatives members enmeshed in the NDDC contracts crisis.

The letter with Reference Number MNDA/HM/04/IV/158, which was addressed to the Clerk to House of Reps, Patrick Giwa, and also copied to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation/Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Akpabio fingered top government officials as beneficiaries of the NDDC contracts.

African Examiner reports that the emergency repairs projects linked to them were awarded two years ago at a cost ranging from N400m and N560m each.

One of the projects linked to James Ibori, a former Delta State Governor, was the emergency repairs of Onoghove community road from Ajanesan to Western Delta University at a cost of N485.7m.

Also, Uduaghan, a former Governor of Delta State, was linked to the emergency repairs of Close B, Alhaji Estate & Environs, Rumuodomaya, Port Harcourt at a cost of N429m.

Five projects were also connected to Kalu, who was identified in the document as OUK-Kalu (the project source).

The emergency repairs on road projects linked to Kalu are in Abia State and the costs ranged from N517m to N560m.

The details are Emergency repairs of Ezere-Acha-Ndiokoukwu Road (N517.9m) and repairs of Amaubiri-Eluama-Uru Ring Road, Lokpaukwu, Umuchieze (N560m).