IYC Accuses Akpabio of Forgery, Illegal Payment of N20bn to Ghost Contractors

The Umbrella Body of Ijaw Youths from the Nine States of the Niger Delta, the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC accuses 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).

According to the IYC, evidence available to the Ijaw Youths showed a sleazy process where the signatures of former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof Nelson and Former Executive Director (Projects) of Niger Delta Development Commission, Samuel Ajugbe were forged in order to pay the ghost contractors the sum between N300million and N400million in the last three months.

The IYC, through its National Spokesman, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe while speaking with newsmen in Yenagoa, called on President Muhammadu Buahri to immediately direct the anti-graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crime commission (EFCC) to investigate the allegation and ask the Minister and the Sole Administrator, Effiong Akwa to step aside for proper investigation, they should investigate the financial traction of the commission under the months in review”

“We have also discovered that out of the over N20billion paid out illegally by the NDDC, 60 per cent is going back to Abuja through the bureau de change in other to service the pockets of none Niger Delta political leaders that will facilitate his presidential ambition. While he has failed to pay genuine indigenous contractors that has finished their projects awarded by the Commission, he is rather hiring thugs to chase away protesting contractors who are demanding for their payments. This is unbecoming of a leader and we shall put an end to this. We therefore call on him to pay the said indigenous contractors forthwith and stop the incessant molestation and harassments of these Niger Deltans by procured hoodlums,or risk reprisals which might lead to chaos and breakdown of law and order. Enough is enough!

Ekerefe, who expressed the vindication of the Youths of the region on the suspicion and mistrust had against Minister Godswill Akpabio over the handling of the ordered forensic audit, the reluctance of President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a substantive board and the poor socio-economic state of the region, 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 Presidential Ambition of Senator Godswill Akpabi.

According to him,” 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 the change operators in Abuja under distilling jobs. What are 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, Abubarkar Malami.”

“President Muhammadu Buhari should rise up to this occasion and clear the “corruption” toga tied around his administration due to the numerous unresolved high profile fraud cases allegedly perpetuated 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”.

Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe however announced that the ijaw Youths have resolved not to allow the likes of Godswill 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 improvish the people of the region and it is payback time for them. Don’t bother coming to the Nines State of the Niger Delta region as you will lose massively.”

IYC Accuses Akpabio of Forgery, Illegal Payment of N20bn to Ghost Contractors

“In the years of the present administration, the Niger Delta region have 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 Youths 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.”