Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has said he is ready to face any panel instituted to investigate his activities as a minister in charge of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
This declaration was contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Anietie Ekong, yesterday in Abuja.
According to the statement, Akpabio is upbeat about the plan to probe the NDDC, since he has no skeleton in his cupboard.
“In fact, he will welcome a public hearing beamed live for all Nigerians to see.
“The probe of the commission, along with the ongoing forensic audit, will expose those who have used their exalted positions over the years to fleece the NDDC through fully paid contracts, which were never executed and other forms of contact racketeering.
“While we await the probe, if carried through, we find it extremely insulting for Senator Akpabio’s name to be dragged into what is obviously a smear campaign.”
The NDDC under Akpabio’s supervision will not be distracted, neither will the ongoing forensic audit of the commission be derailed through blackmail and intimidation, it added.
Meanwhile, Anti-Corruption and Integrity Forum (ACIF) has described the decision by the National Assembly to probe Akpabio and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NDDC as a diversionary and vindictive venture aimed at undermining the Niger Delta region.
The chairman, Prince Kpokpogri, in a statement yesterday, enjoined members of the National Assembly to stop chasing shadows and preoccupy themselves with tackling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.
The group argued that the decision by the lawmakers to invite Akpabio to question him on the money he duly got from the presidency to pay contractors was nothing but a distraction, and an attempt to cover up for their laxity and inability to add value to the wellbeing of Nigerians.
It averred that the decision to probe the NDDC must have been masterminded by disgruntled politicians keen on using the NDDC as a conduit pipe to stack money for the 2023 election.
The group further argued that if the petition to probe the “hard-working IMC” was not representing vested interest, then why must spend N40 billion to offset contractual debts become a matter of urgent public importance in an era of coronavirus pandemic?
