THE Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has appealed to the Federal Government to release the report of the forensic audit carried out on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Wike made the call during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, while speaking on the performance of a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, as a Minister of Transport under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He claimed the report was shelved to protect those who might be indicted in any form of fraud.
Wike also accused the wife of a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, of benefitting from the government when her husband was in power, but did not provide evidence.
The forensic audit initiated by the Federal Government in 2021 investigated the financial transactions and project implementations of the commission from its inception in 2001 to August 2019.
It aimed to identify mismanagement, misappropriation of funds, and other irregularities.
Wike said, ”Let President Bola Ahmed Tinubu do us a favour and release the report of the forensic audit of the NDDC.’
Wike’s statement comes a day after Amaechi, in an interview on Thursday, made glowing remarks about his wife’s occupation, saying she was “almost an industrialist”.
However, Wike was quick to dismiss the claim, rather insisting Amaechi’s wife was a beneficiary of a monthly contract to train women of the Niger Delta.
The minister said he came from a comfortable home and did not need to steal any money from public funds, alleging that Amaechi was one of the most corrupt human beings.
”I won’t say I was too rich like the Dangotes, but I didn’t have a small background. His (Amaechi’s) anger is that he saw me using a Rolls-Royce -and so what?
”It was not given to me by a contractor; a contractor gave him, and that is a bribe.
“He took from a contractor, but I will not do that. He (Amaechi) is one of the most corrupt people,” he said.
Wike also said that if his accusations were not contained in the NDDC forensic report, he would resign his position as the FCT minister.
“Let them release the document, if what I am saying is not in the document, I will resign as the minister of FCT. I don’t worship the office,” he said.
The minister also questioned the qualifications of Amaechi, claiming that the former Minister of Transport failed to graduate from the Rivers State University.
“Amaechi went to Rivers State University, but he couldn’t pass,” he said.
Amaechi wife was not the first to be accused of benefiting from NDDC contracts.
In July 2020, the probe by the House of Representatives committee on the NDDC took a controvertial turn when the then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, during an appearance before the committee claimed that the lawmakers were “the greatest beneficiaries” of NDDC contracts.
Asked how the lawmakers benefitted, Akpabio had said, “I just told you that we have records to show that most of the contracts in the NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly”.
There was also commotion at the hearing when the then acting managing director of the NDDC, Daniel Pondei, slumped on his desk as the House of Representatives committee grilled him.
Pondei had been grilled for over an hour when he slowly slumped.
The controversy over the probe saw strong allegations of corruption traded between the Akpabio, and a former managing director of the NDDC, Joi Nunei, who appeared before the lawmakers via Zoom.