NDDC DEMANDS REFUND OF ₦2.5 BILLION FROM PETER NWAOBOSHI.

NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (NDDC)
HEADQUARTERS
167 ABA ROAD, HARCOURT
084 - 232650,
July 5, 2020.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi,
National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

Sir,
DEMAND FOR THE REFUND OF THE SUM OF ₦2.552 305.600.00 (TWO BILLION. FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO MILLION. THREE HUNDRED AND FIVE THOUSAND AND SIX HUNDRED NAIRA) BEING MONEY HAD AND RECEIVED IN RESPECT OF CONTRACTS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PLASTIC DESKS AND CHAIRS FOR PRIMARY/SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION.

The subject here above refers, please.

2. I have been directed to write to you and to state as follows

3. That sometime in 2017, the Commission awarded contracts to certain companies for the production of desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in the Niger Delta region under the 201 6 budget of the Commission. The list of the companies is attached as Annexure 'A'. The total value of the said contracts was ₦2.552.305,600.OO (Two Billion. Five Hundred and Fifty Two Million. Three Hundred and Five Thousand And Six Hundred Naira).

4. That the contracts were in furtherance of the Commission's education sector mandate as catalyst for the improvement of classroom and learning conditions in the Niger Delta region.

5. That instead of supplying the chairs and desks to the Commission's warehouse in Port Harcourt or to any of the NDDC offices in the nine Niger Delta States, the items were supplied to a warehouse described as Akuede Akwis' located at Benin Expressway, Okpanam, before Wichetech Aluminum Company.

5. That the 2019 budget of the Commission also contains the tollowing heads:
a. Provisions and supply of Plastic Chairs and Desks for Primary and Secondary Schools in Delta North Senatorial District (Lots 1-15) for (Serial No. 21).
NDDC
b. Provisions and supply of Plastic Chairs and Desks for Primary and Secondary Schools in Delta North Senatorial District (Lots 1-20) for (Serial No. 33).
c. Production and distribution of Desks and Benches in selected schools in the Niger Delta Region for (Serial No. 396).
This brings the 2019 budgetary provision for chairs and benches to a total of

6. That despite having fully paid for the 2017 contracts for the production of chairs and desks, the items have not been supplied to the Commission. The resultant effect is that the Commission and the Niger Delta region have been deprived of the use of the desks and chairs.

7. That I have been further directed to demand that you refund the sum of ₦2,552,305,600.OO (Two Billion, Five Hundred and FiffyTwo Million, Three Hundred and Five Thousand And Six Hundred Naira). to the Commission being the contract sums paid in respect of the said contracts within 14 days of this letter.

Please accept sir, the assurances of our highest regards and esteem.

Delta Development Commission
Peter Claver Okoro, Esq.
Director, Legal Services

NDDC Saves N35b after Verified Payment to Contractors - NDDC Acting ED Projects Ojougboh.

The Acting Executive Director, Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, says that the Interim Management Committee, IMC, has saved N35 billion for the Commission after its verified payments to contractors.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the inauguration of the Committee for the completion and commissioning of NDDC’s 13-floor new permanent headquarters at the Eastern By-Pass, Port Harcourt, Ojougboh said that the Commission had also verified payments for N1.5 trillion for other projects.

Ojougbo, who is the Chairman of the committee, affirmed that work on the office complex was at 98 per cent completion. He said: “As you can see, the lifts and escalators are working, the lights and the central air conditioners are functioning. You have seen the external works, so I want to tell you that what is left is the ancillary building, the windows are already in place. You have also seen the asphalts, so we are good to go.

“Nobody believed that it was possible to achieve what we have achieved. There were lots of booby-traps which made it impossible for this building to be ready before now. But we thank God for the successes we have recorded.”

Ojougboh stated that change had come to the NDDC and “things will never remain the same again.” According to him, “President Muhammadu Buhari worked for the change in NDDC and even when we leave here, other people coming in would be more careful.

“As for the list of contractors we published, that was for 2018 alone. By the time we publish that of 2019, a lot of things will come out to the open. Some person claim they did not benefit from NDDC but we have documents linking them to those contracts. The forensic audit is unearthing a lot of things, 2016, 2017 and 2019 list are ready. But we have decided we would not be distracted again.”

He lamented that the NDDC budget for 2019 was distorted to the detriment of regional projects, citing the example of regional hospital projects that were starved of funds. “We made provision for hospitals in all Niger Delta states as our regional projects but it was removed and replaced with supply of chairs to schools in the region,” he said.

Ojougboh said that the NDDC had written letters to the National Assembly to explain why N11.6billion budgeted for the completion of hospitals was removed and replaced with supply of chairs and desks. He asked: “Is that what we deserve in Niger Delta?”

Charles Obi Odili
Director, Corporate Affairs
August 7, 2020.

FRAUD IN NDDC
Senator Peter Nwaoboshi in fresh N3.4 billion procurement scandal security monitor.

1. If the provision of sections 24 and 27 of the public procurement Act No 65 of 2007 is anything to go by, the senator representing Delta North senotorial district, Sen. Peter Noeloka Nwaoboshi who is chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs should have been arrested, charged and tried following the mammoth allegations of fraud, contract inflation violation of the public procurement Act, flagment abuse of office and embezzlement of public funds to the tune of N3,483144,00 (Three billion, four hundred and eighty three million, one hundred and forty-four thousand naira meant for the procurement of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in 9(Nine) oil producing states in Nigeria in the 2016 appropriation of the NDDC.

2. In all these allegations, it was learnt that the tenders Board of NDDC was never consulted before the award of the contracts to 15 different companies having links to the senator through proxies, friends and relations.

3. Our investigations reveal that contrary to the provisions of section 24(1) of the public procurement of goods and works by procuring entities shall be conducted by open competition bidding and section 27(1) of the same Act provides that all bids in response to invitation to open competitive bidding must be submitted in writing, in addition to any other format stipulated by an official authorized to bind the bidder to a contract and placed in a sealed envelope. It is worthy of note that there was no open competitive bidding in line with the provisions of the law.

4. For the avoidance of doubt, these are the 15 (fifteen) companies and has contracts were awarded to them:

I. BenchMark Construction & Projects Limited which got a contract for the procurement of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in Abia for the sum of N 232,209,600 (Two Hundred and Thirty two Million, Two hundred and nine thousand, Six Hundred Naira).

II. Milestone Allied Builders Limited and Edendoma Stars International got the sum of N232,209,600 ( Two Hundred and Thirty Two Million, Two Hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira each for the same purpose in Akwa-Ibom State.

III. Isumabe U.K Global Ventures, Nelpat Nigeria Company and Edrihide Company also got the sum of N232,209,600 (Two Hundred and thirty two Million, Two hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira each also for the procurement and supply of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa State.

IV. In cross River State, the same contract and contract sums N232,209,600 (Two Hundred and thirty two Million, Two hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira were awarded to Antlers Construction & Allied Works Limited, same goes for AGH- Rown Ventures and NOAN integrated services limited each for the same amount in Delta State.

V. In Edo, Imo & Ondo States respectively, the same contract for the procurement and supply of plastic desks and chairs was awarded to De-Towers Construction & Allied Services, Eastern Wrought Iron Limited and Franstine Nigeria Enterprises respectively for the same N232,209,600 (Two Hundred and thirty two Million, Two hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira each.

VI. Investigations revealed that Bench Mark Construction & Projects Limited with RC. 925180, milestones Allied Construction and Allied Works Limited with RC. 925188 and De-towers Construction & Allied services with RC. 925182 were all registered on the same day; December 3rd 2010 with plot 3011 B, Kwranakh Close, Maitama Abuja.
 This is the same address for Golden touch Construction projects Limited used by senator Peter Nwaoboshi to illegally acquire the 12 – storey building at 27 Marina road, Apapa also known as “Guinea House” belonging to the Delta state government