A former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has denied being a beneficiary of contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Uduaghan made the denial in a statement on Monday following the inclusion of his name as contract beneficiary in a letter the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
In the letter, Uduaghan was listed as beneficiaries of NDDC contracts alongside another former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, and a former Governor of Abia State, now the representative of Abia North Senatorial District, Orji Uzor Kalu.
Uduaghan, in a statement by his spokesperson, Monoyo Edon, said: “The attention of His Excellency, former Gov of Delta State Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has been drawn to a publication by The Punch Newspapers of Monday 3rd August 2020, which stated that the ‘Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has linked two former governors of Delta State, Messrs James Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan, to the various contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission’.
“In the said publication, it was stated that ‘Uduaghan was linked to the emergency repairs of Close B, Alhaji Estate & Environs, Rumuodomaya, Port Harcourt at a cost of N429m.’
“We want to state very clearly that the said accusation is FALSE. Dr. Uduaghan has never approached the NDDC for any contract whatsoever. It is even more ridiculous that the said contract is a road inside Port Harcourt town.
“Dr. Uduaghan has drawn the attention of the Hon. Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the publication and hopes he makes a correction.
“Members of the public are advised to disregard the mischievous publication.”