Senator James Manager has denied receiving contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) even while serving as the Senate Committee chairman on NDDC.
In his reaction to the allegations, Senator Manager, who represents Delta South Senatorial District in the National Assembly on Monday, threatened to legal action against the Commission’s Executive Director of Projects for defamation if he fails to name the companies through which he allegedly collected the contracts.
He said, “I sincerely wish to react as follows: That My tenure as chairman of Niger Delta committee in the senate effectively ended in 2015.
“That ever since then I have never visited NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt or any of its branches.
“That NDDC never awarded any contract to any company owned by me. That I do not know of any company owned by me, that has ever gone into bidding of government job anywhere in the world.( This may come to many as a surprise many but that is the gospel truth).”
While challenging Ojougboh for proof of evidence, Manager noted that, “That those who are alleging to defame me must be aware of the consequences.
“That in the interest of the gullible innocent public, the authors led by the said Dr Cairo Ojugboh or any other person should provide among other things the following please;
“(A) detailed description of the said jobs. (B) names of companies. (C) payments already made and to whom?. (D) job performance. (E) The Directors as they appear in the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC).
“That I sincerely in the name God request for proof of evidence. This is a very simple minimum demand.”
Recall that the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, had on Sunday named Manager as one of the members of the National Assembly, who got contracts from the NDDC. The minister listed Senator Manager’s name against 6 projects.
NDDC executive director of projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, had also accused the lawmaker of benefiting from contracts of the NDDC.
