Senate invites minister of Niger Delta affairs over corruption allegations

The senate committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions have summoned Umana Okon Umana, minister of Niger Delta affairs, over allegations of unauthorised projects and corruption.

Ayo Akinyelure, chairman of the panel, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

Akinyelure said the committee had met and resolved that the minister should be invited based on the strength of a petition against him.

He added that the committee had agreed to ensure the matter was given an accelerated hearing.

He said the minister is expected to appear “on November 10 by 2 pm and details of the allegations forwarded to the minister”.

Giving further details on the petition, Akinyelure said the petitioner alleged that the minister was aiding corrupt practices and had failed to inaugurate the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“The minister was also accused of trying to replace the sole administrator of the NDDC, Effiong Akwa, who was duly appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari and confirmed by the national assembly,” he said.

According to the chairman, removing the sole administrator would be detrimental to the interest of the people in the Niger Delta region.

He further said the minister was also expected to explain why he decided to sack over 700 staff of the NDDC.

The chairman said that based on the petition, the minister was compiling projects not appropriated by the president to get N480 billion in funds of the agency domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Our people in the Niger Delta region where funds are being generated for the country are in a state of comatose.

“The president has, in his wisdom, deemed it fit to appropriate funds to the Niger Delta region, but the minister has refused to bring the appropriation before the national assembly for us democratically elected representatives of the people to approve, but they have refused to do so.

“There is a lot of higher level mismanagement of resources due to the development of the Niger Delta region.

“Whenever I decide to invite them, they will give excuses to get by. Changing people who will be able to dance to their tune will be able to find different areas of perfect fraud.

“We have come to realise that we believe that the president is doing his best. But those he appointed as aides and ministers are frustrating the anti-corruption agenda.”