Group Petitions Buhari Alleging Contract Racketeering By NDDC’s Director, Adjogbe

A group, Anti-corruption and Transparency International has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari alleging contract racketeering by Engr Samuel Adjogbe, Executive Director Projects, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The group alleged that the NDDC director had through kickback pocketed cash running into millions of naira that ought to have directly impacted host communities in the Niger Delta region.

In a petition signed by Dr. Peremobowei Seiyaboh on behalf of the group, the petitioners alleged that Adjogbe, was purportedly involved in contract racketeering with his supposed ‘godfather’, Olorogun Ortega Emerhor whom they also accused of benefiting from the contract deals by the NDDC EDP.

Specifically, the group alleged that a water hyacinth contracts worth of over N500,000,000 (Five hundred million) naira that ought to go to APC members in Delta State was ‘cornered’ by the NDDC EDP and awarded to his cronies, relatives and Emerhor who apparently dictate who should get slot from the job.

Allegedly, they claims that Adjogbe fraudulently used his office to re-award the job after letters of award and certificates has been issued to pre qualified contractors who genuinely bidded and won the water hyacinth contracts.

“Using his position as the executive director of projects, Engr. Sam Adjogbe has continuously and ceaslessly awarded numerous contracts as a patronage to Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, who is his political godfather and benefactor and thereby short changing pre qualified contractors who genuinely bidded and won contracts”.

The group named about seven companies linked to the NDDC director, including Duke Dukakiss International Nigeria limited, Clago Nigeria limited, Jopat Nigeria limited, Little Heroes Limited, 21st Consulting Limited, Perculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited, Hobson and Lawson Limited as the beneficiaries of the purported fraudulent contract.

While calling on President Buhari to cause the anti-graft commission, Economics and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC as well as the ICPC to investigate the contract scam, the group alleged that proceed of the fraud was channeled to acquire choice properties in Abuja, Lagos, Ughelli and Enwreni.

“That recently, EDP Engr. Samuel Adjogbe has not only carried out renovation works at his hotel, but also built a new wing of his hotel extension at Ughelli, Delta State with proceeds of kickbacks from NDDC contracts awarded to companies linked to him”.

The group also alleged that the NDDC official had fraudulently used his office to cornered road contracts to himself and cronies, particularly tarring roads leading to his residence and hotels under the guise that they are roads in Ughelli town that needed urgent attention.

They said the development was odd to the anti corruption war of the President Buhari hence there is need to act on the petition and commence the immediate investigation of the nefarious corrupt activities of the director and cronies.

All efforts to reach either Adjogbe or Emerhor for comments on this report proved abortive. Emerhor didn’t respond to text message sent to him on the allegations as at press time but a close associate dismissed the allegations saying they are frivolous.