NDDC Gate: Akpabio Eats His Words, Writes Reps, Denies Contracts To NASS Members

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has written to the National Assembly after the House threatened to sue him for comments that lawmakers received 60 per cent of the contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Earlier, the House had threatened to sue Akpabio for making such bold claims.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said, “As much as we still have a lot to do in that regard, I refuse to sit here in good conscience and allow anyone to assassinate the character of the House in an attempt to deflect accountability for their conduct in office.

“This morning, I asked the Clerk of @HouseNGR to engage the services of legal counsel, and instruct them to initiate a criminal complaint of perjury against the minister. At the same time, we will instruct counsel to explore the possibility of a civil defamation suit.

“The House of Representatives is a public trust placed in our care for the duration of our term in office. We must prove ourselves worthy of this public trust or risk the censure of history.

“Therefore, we will resist every attempt to undermine this institution, whether such attempts come from within or from outside. @HouseNGR will live up to the highest expectations of the Nigerian people. This is our commitment, and we will not fail.”

In a new development, the Speaker announced the receipt of Akpabio’s response, saying the minister referred to old contracts awarded by the NDDC which are part of the constituency projects of the lawmakers.

The Speaker also said Akpabio’s response would be directed to the Committee on Ethics and Privileges to substantiate the minister’s claims.