Yenagoa—The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has alleged that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio in connivance with others have engaged in acts of forgery and illegal payment of N20billion to ghost contractors for the fictitious contract of distilling purportedly awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
IYC stated that evidence available to it showed a sleazy process where the signatures of a former Acting Managing Director of NDDC, Prof Nelson and Former Executive Director (Projects) Samuel Ajugbe, were forged in order to pay the ghost contractors between N300million and N400million in the last three months.
National spokesman of IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, who made this known while speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the allegation.
He called on Buhari to ask the minister and the NDDC sole administrator, Effiong Akwa to step aside for proper investigation.
They should investigate the financial traction of the commission under the months in review, he said.
According to him, “We have also discovered that out of the N20billion paid out illegally by the NDDC, 60 percent is going to Abuja through the bureau de change. While he has failed to pay the genuine contractors that have finished the projects awarded by the Commission.
“He even hired thugs to chase away protesting contractors, we have resolved to mobilise and launch reprisal attacks against those hired thugs and invade the homes of those that hire them.”
He expressed the vindication of the youths of the region on the suspicion and mistrust they had against Akpabio over the handling of the ordered forensic audit, the reluctance of President Buhari to set up a substantive board and the poor socio-economic state of the region.
Ekerefe noted that the illegal payment of ghost companies is being done in such a way that the payment will end up in the hands of operators of bureau de change in Abuja in preparation for the alleged presidential ambition of Akpabio.
His words, “Instead of ensuring that the socio-economic activities of the region pick up through the setting up of the substantive Board of the NDDC, Akapabio is busy conniving with ghost companies to divert fake payments to Bureau de change operators in Abuja under distilling jobs.
“What is the benefit of distilling jobs? We have also discovered that they have collaborators in the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
“President Muhammadu Buhari should rise to this occasion and clear the “corruption” toga tied around his administration due to the numerous unresolved high profile fraud cases allegedly perpetrated by ministers under his administration.
“If the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and those in the Presidency could not investigate the allegation brought forward by the council, it means they are all involved in the ongoing fraud in the NDDC.
“We have already lost confidence in the ability of the present administration to keep to its words on issues of crime and criminality. Months after the submission of the audit report, the Buhari administration has gone mute over its implementation.”
The IYC Spokesman stated that ijaw youths have resolved not to allow the likes of Akpabio and those against the setting up of a substantive board for the NDDC, particularly presidential aspirants who worked against the interest of the region not to bother to visit the region on a campaign tour as we will move against them.
“They have impoverished the people of the region and it is payback time for them. Don’t bother coming to the Nine State of the Niger Delta region as you will lose massively.
“In the years of the present administration, the Niger Delta region has been heavily dealt with by President Buhari for no just reason. The road projects including the moribund East/West road have remained a death trap.
“The Youth empowerment programme remained poor. Projects celebrated and purportedly deployed to the region are either dead or moribund.
“We are no longer worried that the political appointees from the region were deployed against their people and they are enjoying it. But let us warn, payback time is coming soon,” he said.
