The Niger Delta Development Commission has warned those it
called “agents of darkness from the Niger Delta” who are hell bent on
destroying the Commission’s good works in the region to change course. The warning
came on the heels of an allegation that a company was awarded a N 5.5 billion
contract to supply equipment for protection against the dreaded Coronavirus.
The Commission also debunked claims by some online
publications that its Director of Procurement awarded a contract of N5.55
billion for the procurement of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and other
kits to fight the spread of COVID 19 in the Niger Delta region.
“We wish to unequivocally deny that contract. The document
is simply fake or at best unauthorised. The letters for all contracts awarded
by the Commission are signed by the Executive Director, Projects on the
authority of the Ag Managing Director who is the chief accounting officer of
the Commission. Neither of the officials is aware of the contract letter. It is
inconceivable that a contract and of such magnitude could be awarded otherwise.
The Commission has launched an internal investigation into how such a letter
came to be issued and on what authority”, the NDDC stated.
The company mentioned in the online reports, Signora
Concepts Services Limited, has also dismissed the report and countered a
statement in which a group of stakeholders, Ijaw Peoples Development
Initiatives (IPDI) and its National President, Ozobo Austin, alleged that the
company received the sum of N 5.5 billion from NDDC through the Minister of
Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to procure the equipment
describing the contract as fraudulent.
The firm in a statement signed by its Operation Manager,
Patrick Ijeomah, accused the IPDI of peddling falsehood and asked members of
the public to disregard the claims.
Ijeomah said: “Our company has not been paid nor any of our
account credited with any money in respect of the contract under COVID-19
contrary to insinuations being circulated in the media”.
Ijeomah explained that the commission under a former acting
Managing Director, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, earlier awarded Signora Concepts and
21 other companies contracts on Lassa Fever kits.
He said: “Some of the materials are still in the warehouse
of NDDC till date. Amount paid by a former IMC Acting Managing Director, Dr.
Joy Nunich, was N2.9bn and a balance of N972million still outstanding.
“Contracts had various medical accessories ranging from
Lassa Fever kits, cholera vaccines and science equipment. It is not true that
these items were never supplied as all the companies involved supplied the
items and those items were dully inspected by officials of the commission and
also distributed to the various communities.
“It will be pertinent to mention that the supply of these
items became necessary due to the floods that ravaged the communities of the
Niger Delta, which increased the possibility of cholera and Lassa fever
outbreak and made it impossible for women in labour to deliver safely in the
various community primary health centres”.
He disassociated the company from “cheap lies” saying the
firm would not be part of bringing dishonour to the region.
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