FORMER Governor of Delta State, on Monday, distanced himself from the controversial Niger Delta Development Commission contracts, saying he never solicited for or executed any contract with the Commission.
Ibori made the clarification against the response of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to the House of Representatives’ call for names of lawmakers who benefitted from NDDC contracts, which linked Ibori to some emergency road projects.
Akpabio was given a 48-hour ultimatum to name lawmakers who benefitted from NDDC contracts and also give the details of the contracts. He responded to the directive in a letter addressed to the House at the expiration of the ultimatum, and attached a document detailing names of lawmakers that had links with the agency’s contracts.
In a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor, Ibori said he had never been accused of being a government contractor since he left as Governor.
“He (Ibori) has never been accused of being a government contractor, let alone a failed one hence he did not want to dignify the allegation with a response because it is ridiculous,” the statement said.
It added, “He did not want to join in the ‘dance in the market square’ going on in the NDDC right now. He has decided to make this clarification for the records because friends and associates inundated him with phone calls this morning.
“So, he (Ibori) is stating categorically that he never solicited for, or was awarded, or indeed executed, any contract with NDDC or any government agency, at any time for that matter…
“So, Ibori is advising Akpabio, his brother, friend, and member of the former Governors Forum, to please calm down and focus on the task at hand.”
Ibori was quoted as saying that if not for the” exemplary courage some of us exhibited, there would have not been an NDDC to bicker about today.”
“Watching the level the NDDC has degenerated to, is a tragedy. We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta to make NDDC work to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the region and to realise the dream for which we fought for it to be set up. So, let everybody involved in the NDDC do their duties to the good people of the region,” the statement said.
