Reps committee chairman alleges threats to his life over NDDC probe

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has alleged threats to his life by some militants over the proposed probe of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC for alleged financial improprieties.

Tunji-Ojo, who addressed journalists at a press conference at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, said he had received some life-threatening phone calls and messages.

The NDDC Executive Director, Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, had in chat with journalists recently accused the Tunji-Ojo and other members of the National Assembly of insincerity and financial impropriety.

He also accused the lawmaker of awarding contracts worth trillions of Naira.

READ ALSO: NDDC acting MD alleges commission’s 2019 budget was padded with 500 fake projects

However, in his reaction, the lawmaker representing Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, dismissed Ojougboh’s claims as a cheap blackmail.

He said: “It’s unfortunate that these allegations are coming. As I have always said, these allegations are blackmail and it’s surprising because I became the chairman of this Committee in September last year and between September and now I can say categorically that not a kobo of contract has been awarded for an emergency.

“So, I don’t know how that figure comes in and how that assertion came into being. It’s laughable because IMC themselves came into being in October last year, a month after I became the chairman of this Committee. The same Dr. Cairo said on Arise TV that they have not awarded a single contract since they came on board so how did one trillion, two trillion or whatever trillion contracts were awarded? This is just sheer blackmail I expected it from the onset when the investigation process started and the bottom line is that we are not going to be dead.”

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