Senator James Manager has discredited the names of lawmakers submitted by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio as those who benefited from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contracts.
Recall that Akpabio during a probe of the NDDC had claimed that 60 percent of NDDC contracts were awarded to lawmakers.
Following his allegation, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila had ordered him to publish the names of lawmakers who had benefited from such contracts or be slammed with a suit.
With the publication of the names in a letter addressed to the Attorney General of the federation with Senator Manager reportedly getting six contracts, he denied receiving contracts from the NDDC even while serving as the Senate Committee chairman on NDDC.
NDDC Executive Director of projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, had also accused the lawmaker of benefiting from contracts of the NDDC
Reacting to the allegations, Senator Manager in statement on Monday threatened to legal action against the Commission’s Executive Director of Projects for defamation if he fails to name the companies through which he allegedly collected the contracts.
His words: “I sincerely wish to react as follows: That My tenure as chairman of Niger Delta committee in the senate effectively ended in 2015.
“That ever since then I have never visited NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt or any of its branches.
“That NDDC never awarded any contract to any company owned by me. That I do not know of any company owned by me, that has ever gone into bidding of government job anywhere in the world.( This may come to many as a surprise many but that is the gospel truth).”
Manager who reportedly got six emergency road repair contracts noted that, “That those who are alleging to defame me must be aware of the consequences.
“That in the interest of the gullible innocent public, the authors led by the said Dr Cairo Ojugboh or any other person should provide among other things the following please;
“(A) detailed description of the said jobs. (B) names of companies. (C) payments already made and to whom?. (D) job performance. (E) The Directors as they appear in the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC).
“That I sincerely in the name God request for proof of evidence. This is a very simple minimum demand.”
