Former governor of Abia State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has confirmed that he facilitated contract from the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
Kalu replying to the accusation from minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio said the contractors who constructed the roads he facilitated has not been paid a dime.
Kalu in a statement signed by Barrister Emeka Nwala of office of the Senate Chief Whip and made available to journalists on Monday, said he believed that the issues at stake in the NDDC had to do with missing funds and not works done.
He added that he was becoming worried over his name being used indiscriminately to sell newspapers without verifications.
The Chief Whip said the road projects mentioned by the Honourable Minister are the interventions he facilitated for the communities as a private citizen before he became a Senator.
Kalu revealed that his name was mentioned because he used his letter headed paper to write a sympathetic letter to the NDDC in 2016 requesting and pleading with the body to rescue roads in Abia.
He also noted that his relationship with Akpabio dated years back and long before he (Kalu) became a governor.
He added that he would still request for more road interventions from Akpabio
He said: “I was governor of Abia State between 1999-2007 and never held any public office until June 11, 2019, when I was sworn in as a Senator.
“Between 2016- 2018 during my tour to several communities; leaders and welfare unions of most communities pleaded for urgent intervention on some dilapidated roads.
“I wrote to the NDDC informing the body of the conditions of these roads and the need for their attention since Abia is an NDDC State.
“The NDDC in their consideration which I am very grateful to award the roads to companies that duly tendered for the projects and not myself.
“Whatever link I have with the projects is because it was considered due to my intervention,” he said.
The Senate Chief Whip also noted that the NDDC that awarded the projects were not part of the interim management in controversy but the fully constituted body of NDDC with its board.
“The roads I requested for intervention as mentioned by the Honourable Minister were repairs of Ezere-Acha-Ndiokoukwu Road; Amaubiri-Eluama-Uru Ring Road, Lokpaukwu, Umuchieze; Ndi Oji Abam-Atan Road; the Okafia-Ozuitem-Bende road and Ozu-Amuru-Abam Road.
“The contractors have completed and delivered these roads a long time ago except Abam-Atani road which I learnt from the contractors was slowed down due to rain but still ongoing.
“Meanwhile, it would interest Nigerians to know that the contractors who built these roads have not been paid any dime.
“It has not been easy with the contractors but because it’s a community project they have only but kept hope alive on the NDDC.
” I am so much concerned about roads because I understand the economic importance of good roads, that’s why I built several roads when I was governor.
“Even as a Senator, it would interest you to know that my major constituency projects are road constructions, reconstructions and rehabilitation.
“We have put in plans to finish 19 roads in Abia North before the end of 2021.
“As a community leader, I do not intend to stop my interventions on roads in NDDC states because all the states need good roads.
“Good roads help to drive the economy. Therefore, I believe the NDDC forensic audit should focus on the missing funds and not works done.
“They should focus on paying contractors that delivered their jobs and not using my name indiscriminately to sell newspapers.
“The Honourable Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio is my good old friend. We have been friends even before I became a governor.
“I hope he doesn’t expect me to stop seeking road interventions in our communities.
“It is his civic responsibility to support the communities and I am very confident he will oblige our future requests especially in areas of good roads,” Kalu said
It continued that, “the IMC is also shocked that the Ad-Hoc committee chose to believe the naysayers who claimed that the NDDC headquarters was not nearing completion; a claim that the IMC denied. Whatever made the Senate Ad-Hoc sit in Abuja to accept a negative report rather than accept the challenge of the IMC to visit the headquarters themselves, for an unbiased assessment, is yet unknown.
“Also in the report, the Senate Ad-Hoc, in a bid to glorify the head of the immediate past IMC, credited the Forensic Audit to her, even when she testified negatively to the existence of the Forensic Audit. In any case, the admittance of the committee that the Forensic Audit is ongoing is a welcome development. We are glad that Mr. President is determined to see the Forensic Audit through, despite all odds”.
The statement added further that, “the IMC has been undertaking a painstaking evaluation of projects before approving any historical debt payment, no matter the level of documentary progress already recorded. Previous project valuations have been slashed and actual value of work done determined. Most emergency contractors are therefore no longer getting the humongous figures they had been promised by their co-conspirators within the Commission. The reduced payment is a saving for the Commission and the Niger Delta, not a payment for the persons in the IMC or the Commission.
“The IMC intends to steer the Commission away from questionable, low-impact projects, with quick-win projects not being excluded), into programmes of regional scale with emphasis on areas already identified in the Niger Delta Action Plan. The programmes will cascade into related projects that will mesh smoothly into a seamless whole on completion. The IMC is looking at the environmental hazards of flooding; inter region transportation including rail transportation, port development, health, education and power sectors. The new NDDC will embark on programmes beyond individual state governments and intensify collaboration with other state players in the region.
“We wish to notify Nigerians that the renewed media attacks on the IMC are part of the orchestrated plot by those mentioned in the emergency contract sleaze to get back at the IMC for daring to name and shame those who have held the Commission and the region hostage for years. The siege is finally broken.
“The Forensic Audit will actually unravel the issue of over invoicing and contract inflation, among other things. It will follow the money trail and expose those who shared such monies with the contractors.
