Niger Delta group caution Sen. Akinyelure, NASS Committee for misleading report of unpaid contracts

…accuses Sen. Akinyelure, others of alleged fault-finding

A Niger Delta peace advocacy group, the Movement for Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) has cautioned the position of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions over the claims of unpaid contractual debts for executed jobs before the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

They accused Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central) and members of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions who alleged that there were a plethora of petitions against the NDDC for refusing to pay contractors who executed projects for the Commission.

The Senate Committee also threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against the Sole Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Effiong Akwa for snubbing the Senate Committee’s invitation, but the MSDND, in a statement issued and signed by its National Coordinator, Chief Ayibatekena Olodin stated that the claims and threat of arrest of the NDDC’s Sole Administrator is treacherous and an allege fault finding expedition targeted at stampeding the commission into paying their associates for unexecuted projects in the region.

The group pointed out that the NDDC has not received the multibillion naira funds from oil sales and ecological funds owed to the commission, but has only been receiving funds to cover its recurrent expenditures. They stated that instead of NASS members to use their influence in prevailing on the Federal Government and multinational oil and gas companies to release trillions of naira owed to the NDDC so as to settle the numerous unpaid contractual debts, they are working to distract the Akwa Effiong management team from paying recurrent expenditures and to offset smaller payments to contractors.

According to the group, members of the National Assembly Committees have allowed themselves to become tools in the hands of politicians that are working against the interest of the Niger Delta region and have become willing actors in the dramatic sequence of harassment, incessant issuance of summons and probes targeted towards arm twisting the interventionist agencies in order to part away with meagre funds meant for the development and empowerment of the people in the region.

The group however warned that should Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central) and members of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions decides to continue in their alleged fault finding of the NDDC, we will not hesitate to use the legal system against them, and mobilize the people across the Niger Delta region, particularly the people of their constituents against them in protest against their continued intimidations, and where possible, make public all their associates records of unexecuted contracts allocated to them in the past and not executed” the statement reads.

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