Revealed: NDDC Top Mgt Collects 30% Contracts’ Kickbacks – SSEPF Alleges

…Petitions President Tinubu

The South-South Elders Progressive Forum (SSEPF), in Delta State has petitioned President Bola Tinubu over an alleged N6 billion bribe paid by some officials in order to retain their positions in the dissolved Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board.

It said that more worrisome was the humongous level of corruption allegedly being perpetrated by some top officials of the NDDC who surprisingly exposed themselves following their internal wrangling.

The Forum particularly noted that the immediate past chairman of the Commission, Ms. Lauretta Onochie, revealed a lot about the Managing Director and his team during the NDDC 2023 budget defense at the National Assembly.

These were contained in a letter by SSEPF addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, titled “A Panacea For The Dwindling Crude Oil Production And The Niger Delta Debacle”, which was signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the forum, Jolomi Ande and Benedict Akparanta respectively, in which the duo pointedly accused the management of the NDDC of consistently extorting about 30 per cent as kickbacks from from contractors.

The Forum drew the attention of President Tinubu to the concerns of various contractors handling projects for the NDDC, saying that most of the contracts have been stalled due to alleged underhand deals.

The SSEPF said that it was highly disgusting that for any contractor to be paid for any job done, a minimum of 30 percent of the value of the payment certificate must be given as kickbacks, a development that prevented contractors to return to the site since the past six months.

The Forum noted that contrary to the present scenario, no previous governing board of the NDDC that was dissolved had either the Managing Director or executive directors left to continue in office, stressing that the dissolved board of the commission should not be an exception.

It said that the decision of the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to issue letters to three officials to remain in office contrary to Mr. President’s directive is manifestly strange, adding that they doubted if it was done with the consent of the President.

The letter further stated; “Already, there are allegations that a whooping sum of N6 billion of the Commission’s funds was disbursed to secure the retention of some members of the NDDC Board following your clear and sweeping dissolution directive.

“Mr. President, we are discomforted that your recent directive dissolving the governing boards of all federal government parastatals, agencies, institutions and government-owned companies as it relates to the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was implemented in the breach and the outcome, if allowed to stand, signals a faulty start capable of raising the bar of corruption at the commission and worsening the lack of cooperation by the host oil communities and the multinational oil companies occasioned by a huge trust deficit as a result of NDDC’s failure to effectively perform its mandate towards maintaining peace and stability in the region, thereby progressively depleting crude oil production output.

“We therefore respectfully urge Mr. President to investigate and verify the payments made at the NDDC within the past six months towards uncovering the 30% kickbacks paid into private accounts of individuals, which are allegedly changed to foreign currency and delivered in cash to the officials for whom they are fronting and these transactions are openly conducted within the vicinity of the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt.

“It is indeed, painful that a greater percentage of contracts being paid for are phony contracts with forged documents backdated to previous administrations. And the proceeds from these payments are shared amongst a new set of corrupt elements in the presidential villa to curry favour and settle a few vocal voices from the Niger Delta.

“This was the practice during ex-President Buhari’s administration and the negative consequences reverberated not only in the Niger Delta region alone but across the country.

“Therefore, Mr. President should not pretend to be unaware of the looming danger as these are weighty issues that require your swift and decisive action by relieving members of the dissolved NDDC board still being retained in their positions.

“Also, Your Excellency should take cognizance of the fact that the Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila-led committee for the reconstitution of new boards is closely being watched by the public and should recommend credible nominees that merit the appointments.

“And in conducting its assignment, the committee should ensure strict compliance with the Establishment Acts of the various Agencies as directed by Mr. President.

“In the case of NDDC, the committee should take particular interest in the appointment of not just people from the oil-producing areas, but indigenes of the oil-producing communities into the board of the commission as stipulated in the NDDC Act 2020.

“People from none oil producing areas dominate the appointments for the position of MD, Executive Director (FA) and (EDP). Unfortunately, the Commission had been bedevilled with corrupt elements and tendencies and the outcome of the implementation of your directive on the dissolution of the governing board of the NDDC has further reinforced this perception,” the Forum stated.