Akpabio shuns NDDC probe

An ad-hoc committee of the Nigerian Senate on Thursday expressed disappointment with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The senators had invited Akpabio to an investigative public hearing on the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The lawmakers at the end of the day were disappointed as the minister failed to show up.

Read also: NDDC denies awarding N500m contracts to Akpabio, accuses senator who made the allegation of N3.6bn fraud

According to Aminu Bisalla, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio could not honour the invitation because he was attending to some national issues.

The Chairman of ad hoc committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, who was unhappy over the development, accused Akpabio of declining to acknowledge or respond to any of the panel’s correspondences.

He said that the minister had also failed to reply to the committee’s letter asking him to provide an update on the “forensic audit he is supervising at the commission.”

Fuming at the situation, Adetunmbi told Bisalla his excuse that Akpabio was attending to some national issues was unacceptable.

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