Senate Summons Akpabio, NDDC Sole Administrator over N2.2bn Contract

Sunday Aborisade, Abuja

The Senate yesterday   summoned the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Sole Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC), Mr. Effiong Okon Akwa over an alleged non – payment of N2.2 billion contract executed for the agency.

The  Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics , Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, said both Akpabio and Akwa must appear before his panel unfailingly on April 12, 2022 by 2pm.

Akinyelure told journalists  that his committee had written several letters of invitation  to Akpabio and NDDC sole administrator on petitions  against them without any response from them.

He said: “It shouldn’t be business as usual. Akpabio and the NDDC Sole Administrator must appear before the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions Committee failure of which will lead to issuance of Warrant of Arrest on them. 

” The Committee wants to believe that as far the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs is concerned ,  break down in communication must have caused his non – appearance before the Committee because as a Senator , he should know the implication of that .

” This press briefing is being done to solve the perceived communication breakdown between the Committee and his office. If our letters are not delivered to him, he will read and hear about the invitation in the media, ” he said.

The summon, he explained, was hinged on petitions filed against Akpabio and NDDC sole administrator by Akom Survey Services Limited.

The firm  alleged non- payment of fees for Survey carried out in the nine Niger Delta States based on N2.2 billion contractual  agreement with the NDDC .

He  said the petitioners totalling seven different companies ,  lamented in their petitions  that non – payment for the services rendered , is pushing them into insolvency arising from unbearable Interests on loans secured from the banks .

” Aside the N2.2 billion contract yet to be paid to the seven companies by NDDC, there is an outstanding of N6.25 billion contracts yet to be  paid to affected companies and N2.5 billion job racketeering scandal .

” Petitions on all these against the NDDC and by extension, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs are before the Committee which must be thoroughly investigated as mandated by the Senate,” he added.