The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has refuted claims circulating on social media regarding the award of a £56.2 million contract to an Italian firm, Caradonna Group Sri. The NDDC’s denial follows the emergence of a letter dated June 1, 2023, purportedly issued by the office of the NDDC sole administrator, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, indicating the award of the contract to the said company.
The letter, addressed to Caradonna Group Sri, states, “This is to notify Caradonna Group Sri that the undersigned Contract Award Committee of NDDC has today, being June 1, 2023, endorsed and confirmed the award of the contract Ref. No/NDDC/01921-Rp/NG-017/23-24 for the supply of 125,000 Lingoffo Stampando LED to NDDC in favor of your company Caradonna Group Sri.”
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However, the NDDC has discredited the document. The director of corporate affairs at the NDDC, Dr Ibitoye Abosade, categorically stated that the document is fake and does not originate from the NDDC or its sole administrator. Similarly, the special assistant on media to the NDDC sole administrator, Willie Etim, affirmed that the document in question is fraudulent and does not bear the official letterhead of the NDDC.
The NDDC has taken a firm stance in disassociating itself from the alleged contract award and has emphasized that the circulating document is a fabrication.
However, further investigation is underway to determine the origins and intentions behind the letter.
Meanwhile, in a recent development surrounding the dissolution of Boards of all federal government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government owned companies, the Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa has expressed concern over what it perceives as “preferential treatment” in the case of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The group, led by its executive director (Niger-Delta), Mr Balogun Atari Radcliff, has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a probe into the matter.
The coalition highlighted a letter from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs that directed the sole administrator of NDDC, Mr Samuel Ogbuku, to oversee the affairs of the interventionist agency until a new board is constituted.
According to the NGO, this directive deviated from the dissolution process of other interventionist agencies with similar mandates, raising suspicions of potential impropriety.
Radcliff in a statement released in Port Harcourt yesterday voiced concerns about the inconsistencies surrounding the dissolution.
He pointed out that while the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government had announced exemptions to the dissolution for Commissions and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, no such clarification was provided for the NDDC.
Furthermore, the Coalition noted that the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation exempted the Boards of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) from the dissolution directive. However, no corresponding directive was issued regarding the NDDC.
The group expressed disappointment that a letter from the Ministry of Niger Delta, signed by its permanent secretary, instructed the managing director, who was a member of the dissolved NDDC Governing Board, to continue overseeing the agency. This contradicted expectations that the most senior civil servant would handle the agency’s affairs during the board dissolution.
He said Mr Samuel Ogbuku, exacerbated the situation by announcing that only the NDDC Governing Board had been dissolved, while the commission’s management team, including the managing director, the executive director of Finance and Administration, and the executive director of Projects, remained intact.
In light of these developments, the Coalition for Good Governance and Economic Justice in Africa called on President Tinubu to intervene urgently, address the perceived disregard for due process, and investigate the preferential treatment given to the NDDC.
They expressed concerns that such unequal treatment could breed distrust in the government and hinder the administration’s efforts to restore hope and tackle mismanagement in the NDDC.
The group further urged President Tinubu to reconsider the NDDC forensic audit conducted in 2022, release the White Paper, findings, and recommendations, and take the necessary steps to cleanse the agency.
They emphasised the plight of Niger Deltans, who have long suffered from poverty and underdevelopment, and called for a rejuvenated and better positioned NDDC that could effectively deliver the much-needed development in the region.
The call for an overhaul of the NDDC stems from allegations of contract fraud, fiscal recklessness, procurement law infractions, audit violations, cronyism, and non-compliance with procedural rules.