NDDC speaks on alleged squandering of N200 billion on fake contracts

PORT HARCOURT, Rivers, Nigeria – The Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) has reacted to online reports alleging that the  Interim Management Committee(IMC) of the commission squandered N200 billion  on fake contracts in two months.

In a statement signed by Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Obi Odili, the commission described the story as nothing but a classic fake news, concocted by the reporter.

According to him, the NDDC under the IMC has not paid out such an amount for genuine contracts not to talk of fake ones.

He said  the  total payments made by the Interim Management Committee in the past two months is about N22 billion, which  covers payments to vendors and suppliers like hotels, and contractors, especially those owed N50 million and below.  

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“The total funds available to the Commission in the past three months is N33 billion, a rather distant cry from the humongous amount quoted by the report”, he said, noting that since the Commission cannot pay what it does not have, it beats the imagination where ”these merchants of falsehood cooked their figures from”.

He stated that while the Commission, as public spirited organisation, welcomes intense media scrutiny, it however abhors fake news peddled by online publications whose interests have nothing to do with the common good.

The NDDc  called on stakeholders to ignore these reports.

See the full text below
Re: NDDC Squanders N200 billion on Fake Contracts

Our attention has been drawn to a report in a little known online publication accusing the Interim Management Committee of squandering N200 billion on payment for fake contracts in the past two months.

This story is classical fake news as the Commission has not paid out any such amount, even for genuine contracts, not to talk of fake ones.

The total payments made by the Interim Management Committee in the past two months is about N22 billion. This covers payments to vendors and suppliers like hotels, and contractors, especially those owed N50 million and below.  

The total funds available to the Commission in the past three months is N33 billion, a rather distant cry from the humongous amount quoted by the report. Since the Commission cannot pay what it does not have, it beats the imagination where these merchants of falsehood cooked their figures from.

While the Commission, as public spirited organisation, welcomes intense media scrutiny, it abhors fake news peddled by online publications whose interests have nothing to do with the common good.

We call on our stakeholders to ignore these reports.

Charles Obi Odili

Director, Corporate Affairs

April 30, 2020.