Trojan News :: Real Time News

Global

I Ran A Transparent NDDC, Says Ex-MD

THE former managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambraifa, has dismissed allegations of corrupt practice and financial impropriety in the commission under his watch.

He described his tenure as transparent and accountable.

Brambraifa, speaking to reporters in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, dismissed the allegation of N70billion contract awarded to the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI), founded by the wife of the Minister of Transportation, Dame Judith Amaechi.

Advertisement

According to Brambraifa, he has received calls and messages from friends, family and associates, who are worried about the allegation published by an online publication, Pointblank.

“I have been inundated with calls and messages from family, friends and associates on the veracity of a story written by Jackson Ude and his Pointblank online publication alleging that NDDC under my watch awarded N70bilion contract to ESI to train Niger Delta youths in vocation and skills, including soap making, and that N48 billion of the contract sum has been paid to the NGO.

“I would have dismissed this allegation, realising that no such contract was awarded during my headship of the commission, but for the interest of some Nigerians, who have shown concern since the emergence of this publication that has gone viral, that such publication is baseless, fictitious, malicious, embarrassing and a figment of the writer’s imagination.

“I, therefore, state unequivocally that NDDC under my watch never awarded N70billion contract to the ESI,” he said.

Brambraifa added that NDDC under his leadership was run in a transparent, responsive, responsible and accountable structure.

“It is obvious that the writer of that malicious publication is uninformed, inert and ignorant of the workings in the NDDC. The commission is well organised, standardised and a well-structured agency run following the act setting it up and in line with due diligence and international benchmark in the award of contract.

“All documents for the award of contracts pass through due process and due diligence and are open for public scrutiny,” he said.

The former NDDC boss challenged the publisher of Pointblank to substantiate his claim and publish relevant documents to verify his claims.

About The Author