Niger Delta Affairs Minister Senator Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, held a series of meetings inside the National Assembly with some stakeholders on the Niger Delta Development Commission's continued investigation.
Olatunde Ojo, Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Akpabio, and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, met separately behind closed doors.
Niger Delta Ministre, Godswill Akpabio
Under Akpabio 's oversight as a minister, Punch says, both the Senate and the House are investigating the suspected illicit spending and mismanagement of N81.5bn by the NDDC..
The committee had only laid its interim report during which it indicted Akpabio and therefore the NDDC management, while the House had resolved that the panel continues with probe and present a comprehensive report.
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The probe had taken a dramatic turn when Akpabio alleged that the NDDC awarded 60 per cent of its contracts to National Assembly members.
Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker, had called on the minister to provide facts, Akpabio had appointed some representatives, but the legislators had rejected the projects against their names.
Emerging from the meeting with the clerk of the National Assembly, Gbajabiamila had asked Akpabio to provide evidence of his claim on the indictment.
He said, "No, no, no, you are mistaken. This was not requested by the Honorable Speaker. The Speaker wanted to understand whether any segment of the National Assembly had undue power in relation to contracts within the NDDC. He did not mention whether they were contractors, or not. So, I've heard from you.
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When asked if he was getting to meet with the leadership of the National Assembly, aside from the committees, Akpabio said, “National Assembly is that the National Assembly. We must make sure that there's harmony between the legislature and therefore the executive which harmony has existed. We are just lecture the Clerk of the National Assembly that today, we've a far better National Assembly, by implication the Senate and House of Reps, in terms of Executive-legislative unity and cordiality.
Speaking of the dispute between him, the NDDC, and thus the National Assembly, the minister blamed it for mischief.
At about 3:25 pm, the minister was at the office of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaboshi, who wasn't around.
Akpabio later met with the chairman and a few members of the NDDC House Committee, including Mr Benjamin Kalu, the House Speaker. The meeting began at about 3.40 pm, and lasted until almost 7 pm.
Efforts to urge Akpabio and Tunji-Ojo to talk at the meeting proved abortive.
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