FG opens window for NDDC contractors to return mobilization fees or return to work

By Emeka Onyekwere
The Federal Government will open an account where contractors, who collected money but failed to execute Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contracts, can refund such monies if they failed to return to site.
Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio said in Abuja on Friday when a group of Akwa-Cross ex- agitators called him that some of the contractors had gone back to work.
He promised to reposition the Commission and make life better for the people of the region, adding that he was not deterred by the campaign of calumny by those who feasted on the NDDC for many years.
Akpabio disclosed that so much money had been poured into the NDDC over the years with nothing commensurate to show for it.
He alleged that some people in the government were frightened by the forensic auditing directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that as a leader he was committed to changing the situation in the commission by bringing accountability to governance.
Akpabio also promised to ensure that all ex-agitators in the region were captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme and other empowerment programmes.
He reiterated his commitment to reposition the Niger Delta Region to make it more attractive for foreign investors.
The former Akwa Ibom State governor called on the youths in the area to consider engaging in profitable economic activities by setting up palm oil factories with modern facilities, investing in garment industries and agricultural production for exports through the Post Amnesty Initiative (PAI).
Also speaking during the visit, the leader of the Akwa-Cross ex-agitators, Alfred Etuk thanked Akpabio for his uncommon leadership qualities, which has endeared him to the heart of the people.
The President of Ijaw Youth Council, Oweilami Pereotubo, who was also in the party, distanced his group from the call for Akpabio’s sack, adding that he was optimistic that the minister would bring uncommon transformation and development in the whole Niger Delta region.