Akpabio denies asking Senate panel for Niger Delta intervention projects

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has denied allegations that he sought inclusion of his constituency as beneficiary of some Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) intervention projects.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Peter Nwaoboshi, had, at a press briefing last week, brandished some letters allegedly written to him by Akpabio to include projects from his constituency in the budget of the NDDC.

But Akpabio’s Chief Press Secretary, Anietie Ekong, dismissed the allegations and explained that the letters were addressed to the leadership of the Senate, contrary to Nwaoboshi’s claims.

“Senator Peter Nwaboshi’s press briefing, in which he alleged that my boss had written to him as a member of the Committee on Niger Delta to request NDDC contracts to the tune of N500 million is false. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“On what basis would Akpabio have written to Nwaboshi to be awarded NDDC contract? Is he the Managing Director of the NDDC? Akpabio never requested NDDC contracts from Nwaboshi as he is claiming. He is lying and no one should take him serious,” Ekong said.

Ekong urged Nwaoboshi to respond to some of the grievous allegations against him by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NDDC, that he wrecked the commission’s budget for his personal benefits.

Meanwhile, two senators from Akwa Ibom State, Albert Akpan and Christopher Ekpenyong, have expressed disappointment over non-confirmation of Mary Uduk who has been the acting director general of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).

They made their position known in a petition they jointly sent to the Senate leadership over what they termed as injustice to Akwa Ibom. This came after the Senate received executive communication for the confirmation of Mr. Lamido Yuguda as DG of SEC, as well as Reginald Karawusa, Ibrahim Boyi and Obisan Joseph as full-time commissioners

Apart from Uduk’s long years of service in the commission, the petitioners indicated, she has also been acting in that capacity for two and half years and was recommended by the minister of finance to the presidency.

However, they said to their chagrin the name that came to the Senate as DG of SEC was Yuguda, who, according to them, has no experience on the workings of SEC in comparison with Uduk.

In defence of President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate, Senator Danjuma Goje said, “This is something I don’t understand because it is not this Senate that nominated Ibrahim Yuguda. It was Mr. President in his own wisdom pursuant to the powers conferred on him by the constitution.

But Senate President Ahmad Lawan, said, “My understanding is that those who signed the petition will be invited by the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges to explain what they mean.”