…Reps Threatens Court Action as Ultimatum to Mention Names of Rep Members Involved Lapses
By Chris Udochukwu
Abuja (Precise Post) – Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has recanted his earlier accusation that 60 percent of the contracts at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was given to the members of House of Representatives.
This is coming as the House of Representatives on Thursday threatened to drag Senator Akpabio to court over indicting comment
Akpabio, in a letter read on the floor of the House during Plenary by the Speaker on Thursday said the only reference he made to 60 percent during his presentation before the NDDC committee on Monday was in response to a question by a member of the committee.
He said the member had sought to know whether a Medical Director can serve as an Executive Director Project, to which he responded by saying that since 50 to 60 percent of NDDC contracts were medical related, there was nothing wrong in a Medical Director serving in that capacity.
He also said that the Executive Director Project of the NDDC forwarded to him a list of 19 owed contracts which the Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC insisted must be paid before the 2020 budget of the commission is passed.
He also said that the NDDC has jot executed any contract under the 2020 budget since it has not been passed, while the 2019 budget was passed in April and has not been implemented
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila however referred the letter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges
Also, House of Representatives, on Thursday, took a decision to drag Mr. Godswill Akpabio before a Court of law, for making indicting comment against it.
While appearing before the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) probing the alleged financial recklessness on Monday, Akpabio had told the Committee that about 60% of total contracts at the NDDC were awarded to Members of the National Assembly.
Irked by the comment, the Lawmakers passed a resolution the next day, giving Akpabio 48 hours to make public, the names and details of such lawmakers who were beneficiaries of the contacts.
At the expiration of the 48-hour ultimatum, Speaker of the House, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, in his opening speech at the plenary, ordered that the Minister be sued for making such “indicting” comment, which he has failed to substantiate.
