FEATURED
Akpabio Dares Amaechi to Produce Evidence of Alleged 50% NDDC Deductions
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has challenged former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to provide documentary evidence to support his allegation that he introduced a 50 per cent deduction from payments to contractors handling projects for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Akpabio said Amaechi had failed to provide contract documents, payment records or details of transactions to substantiate the allegation.
He made the challenge in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh.
Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation and African Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, made the allegation during the party’s campaign rally at the Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi State on Saturday.
In response, Akpabio asked the former governor to identify the contractors affected, the contracts involved, when the alleged deductions occurred and the payment arrangements through which they were made.
He also demanded evidence linking him personally to the alleged practice.
“An allegation delivered before an enthusiastic political audience does not, by that circumstance alone, acquire the status of an established fact,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President urged Amaechi to submit any credible evidence to the appropriate investigative authorities rather than use the allegation for political attacks.
“If Amaechi possesses credible evidence of unlawful deductions involving NDDC contractors, the appropriate course is to identify the relevant transactions, disclose the supporting records and submit the material to competent investigative authorities and not the act of rabble-rousing,” he said.
Akpabio also questioned Amaechi’s record as Rivers State governor between 2007 and 2015, citing the controversial Port Harcourt monorail project and the Malaria-free Rivers State initiative.
He called for public scrutiny of the funds spent on the projects, their level of completion and whether they achieved their intended objectives.
“Public accountability does not begin and end with one’s political opponents. It extends to every public official entrusted with resources, authority and responsibility,” he stated.
He added that the 2027 general elections should not become an excuse for making unsubstantiated allegations.
Akpabio stressed the need for transparency in the NDDC, particularly in procurement, project execution and the delivery of measurable development across the Niger Delta.
He maintained that Amaechi had the right to question public administration but must support his claims with verifiable evidence.
“The credibility of a public allegation must rest not on the volume of its delivery, the status of its author or the occasion on which it is made, but on the quality of the evidence supporting it. Let the facts speak,” he added.
