NDDC Refutes €56,250,000 Contract Award Allegation, Says It’s Malicious, False

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has dissociated itself from a fake contract award letter being circulated online purported to have originated from the desk of the Managing Director of the Commission.

The commission stated that the fake letter which purportedly notified an Italian company of an award of a contract for the sum of €56,250,000 did not emanate from it.

According to a statement from the office of the Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission, Dr. Ibitoye Abosede, the Commission stressed that it was not in the know of such a contract, advising the public to disregard it.

The commission unequivocally stated that the document was fake, adding that the purported contract was also a scam.

“It does not exist either in the records of the Commission nor is any of our officials aware of it,” the Commission stressed.

The interventionist commission, having studied the purported document, stated that award of contracts at the NDDC follow due process as stipulated by the Procurement Act, adding that at the end of that process, successful bidders are always issued an award letter signed by the Director of Procurement.

It also stated that such award letters are always on a security paper which has a serial number and a QR code.

The commission stated further that contract award letters do not come from the desk of the Managing Director, saying that the fake document was probably generated on an ink jet printer and purportedly came from the desk of the Managing Director.

The commission maintained that the letter dated June 1, 2023, purportedly signed by its Managing Director and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, did not originate from the managing director as he does not sign such letter.

“In any case, the signature on the fake document is not that of our managing director. Also, Nigeria had no Minister of Niger Delta Affairs by June 1, 2023 as the Federal Executive Council was dissolved before the handover of power on May 29, 2023,” it added.

The Commission reiterated that the fake letter failed all its branding standards, and therefore called on the public to disregard it.

“Our take is that the letter is a product of a cheap scam. It has no relationship whatsoever with the Commission. We hereby advise all stakeholders and interested parties to cross check any purported letter of contract award with the Procurement Department of the Commission.

“We also warn the public to beware of fraudsters who will stop at nothing to dupe others. It also stated that the law enforcement agencies have been notified to go after the culprits.

“We have reported this scam to the law enforcement agencies so that the culprits can be brought to book.”