Uzodimma moves to complete abandoned NDDC roads in Imo

Alleged N2.5b fake contract: Ondo mornarch reports NDDC to Presidency, Reps

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Ayo Arowojolu

Damning revelations of sharp practices in the award of phony contracts running into about N2.5billion allegedly perpetrated by the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), has been uncovered.

The scandal this time is in respect of desilting and re-channelling of river projects in Igbokoda area of Ondo State, many of which locations, are not in existence at all.

The contracts being disputed are; Emergency clearing and desilting of Ipinle Ajenrela Creek, Igbokoda, Emergency clearing and desilting of Ilar Creek, Igbokoda, Emergency clearing and desilting of Temetan Creek, Igbokoda, and Emergency clearing and desilting of blocked Carnal from Ilaje High School Naval Base Fishing Terminal.

All four projects and others were awarded at a cost of N634,761,500 each, totalling about N2.5billion, payment of which is presently being processed.

The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has recently cried out that the NNDC has since the past years swindled the government of whopping amount, using the name of his community and Ilajeland generally to siphon billions of naira into their personal account.

In a petition addressed to the Presidency and also the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee currently probing the finances of NNDC, the monarch lamented that about four desilting projects awarded by the Commission were inexistent and fake.

The petition is signed by the Olu of Igbokoda Palace Secretary, Prince Toyin Orimoloye, read;

“Our attention has been drawn to an online petition written to the Presidency by the ACT FOR POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE in which Kolawole Johnson, the Group’s Head of Directorate of Research, Strategy and Programme, alleged fraud in various contracts allegedly executed by NDDC and its contractors.

Sir, it may interest you to know that last year, an NDDC contractor brought about 4 swamp buggies to claim to desilt and channel the rivers in and around Igbokoda. The machines were left in various places until the big flood that got everywhere flooded and the machines were eventually withdrawn. NO JOBS WERE DONE.

“It may interest you to know, Sir, that there is no river in Igbokoda called Temetan Creek that they claimed gulped the whopping some of N634,761,500.00 (six hundred and thirty-four million, seven hundred and sixty one thousand, five hundred thousand naira).

“A close look at the petition shows four different locations of the same price each were executed. It means on Igbokoda alone, over N2.5 billion was siphoned by these dubious claims.

“I am therefore asking the NASS to compel the NDDC and the contractor to come to show where, when and how were the jobs in Igbokoda done.

“I dare say It is a fraud and an unfair treatment of my people who had been extremely short-changed by the contracts, employment and even scholarships awarded by the NDDC
“By the same token, I am also appealing to the House Committee to please make public all the contracts and projects of NDDC in Igbokoda from 2017 to date. We want to know the projects, the locations, the values, and the level of execution.

We shall appreciate if these frauds could further be exposed in the interest of fairness and good governance”.

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