By Fola James
The bubble has finally burst. Dr Cairo Ojougboh, executive director, Project of the embattled Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC has named House of Reps member, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, popular as BTO as one of those that were awarded multi-billion naira contracts by the Commission.
Tunji-Ojo is the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC and close ally of Speaker of the House of Reps, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Recall that the lawmaker from Ondo state recused himself from the NDDC probe, two weeks ago after the Managing Director of the interventionist agency, Professor Daniel Pondei accused him and other members of the National Assembly of benefitting from contracts awarded by the Commission.
The lawmaker had challenged the NDDC to show evidence that he or any other lawmaker was awarded contracts.
The probe got more controversial after Gbajabiamila also dared the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio to mention the names and companies of members of NASS that have benefitted from NDDC contracts.
But while speaking at the Palace of Asagba Asaba, Dr Ojougboh disclosed that Tunji-Ojo, Senator James Manager and Peter Nwaoboshi were among lawmakers awarded mouth watering contracts, that were sometimes, never executed, through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.
He said the Commission has become a cash cow for corrupt lawmakers who saw it as their own goose that lays the golden eggs, adding that returning the agency to the SGF’s office, as the lawmakers have repeatedly clamoured, would worsen corruption in the commission.
According to him, Senator Nwaoboshi is the arrowhead of the group of senators and house of Reps members who have turned the NDDC to a business venture.
Dr Ojougboh said of the senator from Delta state thus “Look at our son, Nwaoboshi, his factory is the warehouse of NDDC, they will award the contract, they will now say they received the contract in his factory.
We have the list of the contracts given to NASS members, all of them were collected through Mutu, Nwaoboshi, Manager and Ojo.
What the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs said was very right, he did not recant, that is what people don’t understand.”
The NDDC director said the scam was perpetrated without the knowledge of other lawmakers.
“Ninth Assembly is not involved, the involvement of the Ninth Assembly is through Ojo,” Ojougboh said adding that “in the probe, NASS members are the contractors, they are the judge, they are the prosecutors and they are the jailers.
That is the country we find ourselves. If this country must move improve, we must look at NASS, and I will tell them where to go at NASS.”
Since inception in 2000, NDDC has received at least N15 TRILLION project funds, without much to show for it, according to checks by the magazine.
