Social Action Thumbs Up FG on Termination of 1301 NDDC Contracts

…Tells Anti-Graft Agencies to go After Corrupt Contractors

By Ekemini Simon 

Social Action, a civil society organisation working on resource democracy and social justice has commended the Nigerian President, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari for the termination of the 1,301 failed contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to contractors between 2000 and 2019.

Social Action also known as Social Development Integrated Centre in a press release signed by the Programs Coordinator, Botti Isaac and made available to TheMail Newspaper described the contract termination as a welcome development and a step in the right direction.

The organisation stated that the development is part of the presidency’s implementation of the forensic audit report of the commission following the President Buhari assurance to Nigerians that “every kobo stolen from the NDDC” will be recovered and culprits punished. 

The release read “In May this year, he ordered all contractors who failed to mobilize to sites to refund all monies to the commissions’ account with CBN, and just this week, in line with that directive, a list of 1,301 failed contracts along with the names of the contractors were published on the official website of the NDDC.

” This is a welcome development, a step in the right direction. We believe that these actions are reposing more confidence in Nigerians that the present administration is interested in fighting corruption.”

Social Action commended the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Umana for his efforts at repositioning the NDDC for effective service delivery. “Mr. Umana has demonstrated this kind of leadership that has never been demonstrated by his predecessors. We know that with the pace of work and efforts Mr. Umana is putting into ensuring that NDDC becomes more accountable and effective, the Niger Delta region will soon attain its development goals”, the statement reads.

The organisation called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to take up the task of investigating the involvement of the published contractors in the failed 1,301 contracts with the view to bringing them to book. 

Social Action charged the anti-graft agencies to support the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in the fight against financial corruption in the NDDC, making sure no individuals involved in the flagrant mismanagement of NDDC funds go unpunished.

The release added “With this administration winding up in a couple of months, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to take the fight against corruption in NDDC more seriously by making sure the details of the forensic audit report is made available to the public.

” Making public the full details of the forensic audit report will prune the Commission of corrupt officials, restore probity, and reposition the NDDC for improved and effective service delivery. This would also leave a remarkable legacy for President Buhari as an astute anti-corruption crusader and a lover of goodwill.”