Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to sue Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, for perjury and defamation.
On its part, the Senate proposed scrapping of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The resolution of the House followed the expiration of a 48-hour ultimatum it gave to Akpabio on Tuesday to prove his allegation that members of the National Assembly get 60 percent of the contracts awarded by the NDDC.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House had asked Akpabio, a former Senator and governor of Akwa Ibom State, to provide the names of the legislators who benefitted from such contracts, including details of their companies. Akpabio made the allegation on Monday when he appeared before the House Committee on NDDC which is probing allegations of financial impropriety leveled against the commission.
The Speaker on Thursday noted however that the Minister had failed to supply the details as demanded by the House. “The honorable minister has failed to respond to my requests,” the Speaker said.
Gbajabiamila said he had instructed the Clerk to the House to commence the processes of instituting legal action against Akpabio for perjury and criminal defamation.
On its part, the Senate Ad Hoc Committee probing the alleged financial mismanagement at the NDDC Thursday recommended the dissolution of the Interim Management Committee of the commission, and a return of the Commission to the Presidency for supervision.
The NDDC was originally under the supervision of the Presidency but was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for oversight.
The committee, headed by Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, observed that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs lacked the capacity to carry out a forensic audit of the NDDC, which was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Committee asked the Auditor General of the Federation to oversee the forensic audit for credibility.
