After a quick recess, Sani Tambuwal, the Clerk of the National Assembly, declared Akpabio as the Senate President having garnered 63 votes leaving his rival with 46 votes.

Akpabio in a letter sent to the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, listed the former governors as some of the beneficiaries of the projects by the commission. Also on the list as a beneficiary of projects were the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, among others.

The letter which is titled ‘Some Niger Delta Development Commission Contracts Allegedly Given to Some Members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives).’, was also copied to the office of the Attorney General of the Federation/Minister of Justice and was addressed to the Clerk to the House, Mr. Patrick Giwa, with Reference Number MNDA/HM/04/IV/158.

According to the letter, one of the projects linked to James Ibori, was the emergency repairs of Onoghove community road from Ajanesan to Western Delta University at a cost of N485.7m.  The letter also stated that Uduaghan was linked to the emergency repairs of Close B, Alhaji Estate & Environs, Rumuodomaya, Port Harcourt at a cost of N429m.

Five projects were linked to Senator Kalu who was simply identified in the document as OUK-Kalu (the project source). The emergency repairs on road projects linked to Kalu are in Abia State and the costs ranged from N517m to N560m. The details are Emergency repairs of Ezere-Acha-Ndiokoukwu Road (N517.9m) and repairs of Amaubiri-Eluama-Uru Ring Road, Lokpaukwu, Umuchieze (N560m). Some other projects linked to Kalu include Ndi Oji Abam-Atan  Road (N523.7m), Okafia-Ozuitem-Bende road (508m),  and the Ozu-Amuru-Abam Road at the cost of  N523.4m.

The cost of the 12 projects linked to Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, located in Imo and Rivers states, were not indicated in the documents.

The NDDC document, however, listed some the projects to include, emergency repairs of Umuelemai-Aba branch road, Anara-Okwelle-Umuna Road, Okpara-Road junction-Ogili Community all in Imo State.

Tribune reports that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the directive during the Thursday plenary when he referred the letter sent by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for further investigation.

Some of the members listed in the controversial letter are from Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, as well as unnamed ‘Caucus in the House of Representatives’.

Akpabio in the three-page letter with Ref. No: MNDA/HM/041/IV/158 dated 23rd July 2020, and titled ‘Some Niger Delta Development Commission contracts allegedly given to some members of the National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives)’, alleged that the House investigating committee on NDDC refused and/or neglected to give him the “opportunity to explain the reference to most NDDC contracts yearly being awarded since 2001 from the records allegedly to members of the National Assembly in both chambers. However, the two chairmen of the committee on NDDC had adequate knowledge.”

The minister’s letter in part reads “It has always been known that the two chairmen of the Committees on NDDC in both chambers yearly exhibit unusual influence to the exclusion of committee members and even the management of NDDC in appropriating funds to details embellished in the budget after the passage of the line items at the plenaries. To show you some typical examples, herewith attached are documents showing nature of contracts, amount of such contracts (in some cases), date of awards and beneficiaries some were awarded to the two chairmen of both Committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate respectively serving at the period of the awards (Annexures ‘B’, ‘C’, and ‘D’). However due to the 48 hours’ notice, the Forensic Auditors could not sift through the thousands of files in their possession to provide more,” the minister informed the Speaker. Some of the members listed in the controversial letter are from Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, as well as unnamed ‘Caucus in the House of Representatives.”

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had in a letter addressed to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, which was leaked to newsmen by a youth group in Abuja on Sunday, July 26, named Manager as one of the lawmakers who got six NDDC contracts. The Executive Director Projects of the agency, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, had accused the Senator of getting contracts from the Commission.

However, in a statement released today July 27, Manager denied the claim and has threatened to take legal action.

His statement “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 for government jobs anywhere in the world. (This may come to many as a surprise but that is the gospel truth). Those who are alleging to defame me must be aware of the consequences. That is the interest of the gullible innocent public, the authors led by the said Dr Cairo Ojougboh 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.”