Group urges Buhari to stop award, payments for NDDC desilting contracts
… demands thorough investigation, arrest of perpetrators
A group, National Action Group Against Corruption (NAGAC), has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently stop the fraudulent desilting contracts often awarded by some officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and some stakeholders in the oil-rich region.
It also called on the President to urgently stop further payments for already awarded desilting contracts by the Commission.
NAGAC alleged that between 2019 and 2022, over N500billion has so far been siphoned by fraudulent NDDC officials and some of the region’s stakeholders from the Commission under the guise of executing “fictitious Desilting Contracts.”
Salient Times report that the group, in the petition jointly signed by its President, Dr Ibrahim Maigari and General Secretary, Pastor Folarin Adefemi, respectively, and titled, “National Action Group Against Corruption (NAGAC) Urges Security Agencies To Stop The Exploitation Of Fraudulent Desilting Contracts By Some NDDC Officials And Stakeholders Of The Region To Siphon Funds Meant For The Region’s Development,” drew President Buhari’s attention to alleged “perennial and persistent fraudulent activities of some NDDC officials in cahoots with some Niger Delta stakeholders to siphon the Commission’s funds through phoney Desilting Contracts” and the urgent need to use anti-corruption and security agencies to stop the menace at the Commission.
It noted that such “monumental frauds being perpetrated by some NDDC officials and so-called stakeholders were the reasons for the renewed agitations, perennial restiveness, wanton violence and needless destruction as well as the general insecurity that have almost become the permanent features of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.”
NAGAC, which expressed dismay at the “gargantuan magnitude of fraud being perpetrated for years now with the Desilting Contracts being awarded by the NDDC virtually every year,” however advised the President to stop further awards of such contracts while further payments for those already awarded should be stopped immediately.
It stated that the awards of such fraudulent desilting contracts became rampant during the tenure of the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
NAGAC also accused Akpabio of colluding with a former NDDC acting Managing Director and another retired Director “to process backdated Desilting Contract papers” while also allegedly using close associates of his to move the funds from the Commission’s purse.
The group, therefore, urged President Buhari to direct the various anti-graft and security agencies to intensify investigations into the Desilting Contracts fraud going on at the NDDC and clamp down on the perpetrators with a view to putting an end to the menace at the Commission.
The petition partly read, “The security agencies must act now against the fat cats at the NDDC, Your Excellency, because this is the only way the much-expected but elusive meaningful development can get to the people in the Niger Delta.
“Mr President, sir, NAGAC wants to advise that there should be no cover-up on the ongoing investigation, which has reached an advanced stage. Your administration’s anti-corruption stance is at stake here, sir.
“The outcome of the ongoing investigation, Your Excellency, NAGAC also wants to advise, should not be allowed to be tampered with by anyone, no matter how highly placed they’re in government and the larger society.
“NAGAC will further advise Your Excellency that all stolen NDDC funds should be fully recovered and all perpetrators of such a crime, including those who served as their conduit for siphoning the Commission’s funds, prosecuted and punished appropriately.”
The petition was also copied the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; National Security Adviser, Major General Mohammed Monguno; Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS); Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; Minister of Niger Delta, Chief Umana Okon Umanah; Chairperson, NDDC, Mrs Loretta Onochie; Managing Director, NDDC; Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on NDDC.
The full text of the NAGAC petition obtained by our correspondent reads as follows:
His Excellency,
President Muhammadu Buhari
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa, Abuja
Sir,
NATIONAL ACTION GROUP AGAINST CORRUPTION (NAGAC) URGES SECURITY AGENCIES TO STOP THE EXPLOITATION OF FRAUDULENT DESILTING CONTRACTS BY SOME NDDC OFFICIALS AND STAKEHOLDERS OF THE REGION TO SIPHON FUNDS MEANT FOR THE REGION’S DEVELOPMENT
Firstly, NAGAC will like to use this medium to commend Your Excellency and your administration for settling the backlog of the 13 per cent derivation funds to oil-producing states and the constitution of a new Board for the NDDC. Your undying interest in peace throughout the once restive Niger Delta region is also highly commendable, Mr President.
We also commend the National Assembly for successfully screening and confirming President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominee for the NDDC Board chairman and 14 other members of the Board.
Your Excellency, sir, we’re appalled by the gargantuan magnitude of fraud being perpetrated for years now with the Desilting Contracts being awarded by the NDDC virtually every year. We’ll, however, advise that further award of desilting contracts and payments should be suspended forthwith. This has become imperative.
Mr President, NAGAC will therefore like to use this medium to draw your attention to the perennial and persistent fraudulent activities of some NDDC officials in cahoots with some Niger Delta stakeholders to siphon the Commission’s funds through phoney Desilting Contracts.
The unabashed corrupt stance of these NDDC officials and the so-called Niger Delta stakeholders leaves very bad taste in the mouth.
Your Excellency, it will interest you to hear that the Desilting Contracts fraud became rampant and more pronounced during the tenure of the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Mr President, it’s a well-known fact that Akpabio colluded with a former NDDC Acting Managing Director, Nelson Brambaifa and retired Director, Environmental Protection, Bishop Boniface Sese, to process backdated Desilting Contract papers. One David Sipa, said to be a close associate to Akpabio, is alleged to be one of the agents being used to move the funds from the Commission’s purse.
Your Excellency, it is disturbing that about N500billion has been siphoned by these NDDC officials and the so-called stakeholders from the Commission under the guise of executing fictitious Desilting Contracts between 2019 and 2022.
Your Excellency, sir, while the desilting of waterways is important for navigation and erosion control, the huge contract sum of between N500million and N900million for one and the same contract is fraudulent and scandalous, as these monies are paid with no single work done at the site.
Mr President, sir, it will also interest you to learn that successive NDDC managements have turned such fraudulent Desilting Contracts to conduit for siphoning billions of Naira while at the same time other contractors of the Commission who have done more than 60 per cent of their projects and even completed some of the projects are still being owed for the past 10 years.
Your Excellency, sir, it will shock you to understand that these monumental frauds being perpetrated by some NDDC officials and so-called stakeholders are the reasons for the renewed agitations, perennial restiveness, wanton violence and needless destruction as well as the general insecurity that have almost become the permanent features of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Your Excellency, NAGAC will, therefore, urge you to direct the various security agencies to intensify their investigations on the Desilting Contracts fraud going on at the NDDC and clamp down on the perpetrators with a view to putting an end to the menace.
The security agencies must act now against the fat cats at the NDDC, Your Excellency, because this is the only way the much-expected but elusive meaningful development can get to the people in the Niger Delta.
Mr President, sir, NAGAC wants to advise that there should be no cover-up on the ongoing investigation, which has reached an advanced stage. Your administration’s anti-corruption stance is at stake here, sir.
The outcome of the ongoing investigation, Your Excellency, NAGAC also wants to advise, should not be allowed to be tampered with by anyone, no matter how highly placed they’re in government and the larger society.
NAGAC will further advise Your Excellency that all stolen NDDC funds should be fully recovered and all the perpetrators of such a crime, including those who served as their conduit for siphoning the Commission’s funds, prosecuted and punished appropriately.
Your Excellency, it’s also imperative that the new NDDC Board members are warned against sustaining the sleaze of monumental frauds and corruption that has fouled the air at the Commission.
