Senator representing Delta South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, James Manager, has refuted a claim made by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, that he collected contracts of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
POLITICS NIGERIA had reported that Akpabio had in a letter addressed to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila named Manager as one of the lawmakers who got six NDDC contracts. Also, the Executive Director Projects of the commission, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, had accused the Senator of getting contracts from the Commission.
But in a statement on Monday, Manager said he never benefitted from the commission during and after his chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs. He, however, threatened legal action against Ojougboh for defamation.
He said: “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).”
Manager challenged Ojougboh to back his allegations with proof of evidence, saying: “Those who are alleging to defame me must be aware of the consequences.
“That in 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.”
