‘Shady deals’: NDDC contractor denies link to 11 companies

Nelson Agbamuche, a contractor, has denied signing agreements on behalf of 11 companies that got an alleged shady N3.6 billion contract from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The commission had alleged that the companies were fronts through which Peter Nwaoboshi, chairman of the senate committee on NDDC, got the contracts.

The senator denied the allegation and threatened to sue Charles Odili, NDDC spokesman, for libel. He has also been in a war of words with Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs.

While Nwaoboshi accused the minister of obtaining a N300 million fencing contract, Akpabio asked him to respond to the allegations by the commission, saying he will not allow the NDDC to be “raped” under his supervision.

In a statement, Agbamuche said the claim by the commission suggesting that he signed contracts on behalf of the companies “is another blatant lie”.

“My attention has again been drawn to another set of lies and unsubstantiated accusations against my person by officials of the NDDC on allegations of contract awards that I have earlier denounced and called on security agencies to investigate,” the traditional ruler said.

“The latest mention is sadly uncharitable and very unbecoming of an institution that should have records in its care to verify contract related issues devoid of false allegations.

“My companies have been winning contracts for over 15 years. I am therefore worried that misguided officials are attributing the ownership of these same companies to another person.

“I am also bothered about the calculated deception that I signed contract agreements for 11 companies, this is another blatant lie.

“It is bothersome when this kind of barefaced mendacity is supposedly coming from an official quarter. I state unequivocally that this is untrue.”