After he was given 24 hours to explain statement he made during a hearing on Monday that members of the House of Representatives lobbied and cornered 60 per cent of the contracts published by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Minister of Niger Delta Godswill Akpabio has recanted his statement, insisting that he did not say so.
Akpabio, in a letter read on the floor of the House during plenary by Speaker of the House, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila on Thursday said the only reference he made to 60 percent during his presentation before the NDDC committee on Monday was in response to a question by a member of the committee.
He said the member had sought to know whether a medical director can serve as an executive director project, to which he responded that, since 50 to 60 percent of NDDC contracts were medical-related, there was nothing wrong in a medical director serving in that capacity.
He also said that the executive director project of the NDDC forwarded to him a list of 19 owed contracts which the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC insisted must be paid before the 2020 budget of the commission is passed.
He also said that the NDDC has not executed any contract under the 2020 budget since it has not been passed, while the 2019 budget was passed in April and has not been implemented.
The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila however referred the letter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
