The chairman, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Governing Board, Lauretta Onochie, has debunked reports that the commission’s board signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a US firm, “Atlanta Global Resources Inc.”
The said publication (not LEADERSHIP) purported the signing of the “construction of a mega rail project across the Niger Delta, from Lagos to Calabar”.
Onochie, however, said the contract was signed without her knowledge, adding that the claimed MoU signed with Atlanta Global Resources Inc. “AGRI” was outrightly disowned by the board as “null and void.”
Similarly, the chairman declared that the publication was without the authorisation or consent of the NDDC board.
Onochie said this in a statement she personally signed and made available to newsmen yesterday in Abuja.
The statement titled: ‘$15 Billion (USD) MoU Between NDDC a US Firm for Mega Rail Project: A Rebuttal’ reads in part: “Everything about this shady “MOU” is illegal due to the following reasons: (a) By the act establishing the NDDC (Act No 6, of 2000), it is the Chairman of the board that is solely vested with the power to sign MoUs with any organisation.
“Part II of the NDDC Act, Section 8, sub-sections (a) and (e), among other provisions, specifically state inter Alia;
“The board shall have power to:- (a) manage and supervise affairs of the commission. (e) enter into such contracts as may be necessary or expedient for the discharge of its functions and ensure the efficient performance of the functions of the commission.
“And the supplementary provision of the Act as relating to the board (Section 4, sub-section 1) clearly retains the seal of the commission in the office of the chairman.
“The “US company”, Atlanta Global Resources Inc., has no expertise nor experience in any form of construction, let alone railway construction. This company is a management and export consulting firm is without known notable directors.
“Thus, the signing of an MOU to the tune of $15 billion with such an organisation is not only suspect but dubious.
“The Federal Executive Council (FEC), having recognised the importance of infrastructure in the Niger Delta region had awarded the contract for the same project in 2021 at the sum of $11.7 billion for the construction of a mega railway from Lagos to Sagamu, Sagamu to Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Ode to Ore, Ore to Benin City, Benin-City to Sapele, Sapele to Warri, Warri to Yenogoa, Yenegoa to Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt to Aba, Aba to Uyo, Uyo to Calabar, Calabar to Akamkpa and to Ikom, Obudu Ranch with branch lines from Benin-City to Agbor, Ogwashi-Uku, Asaba, Onitsha and Onitsha Bridge and then Port Harcourt to Onne Deep Sea Port.”
Onochie said it was shocking that after the FEC, the highest ruling body in the country, had done this, that anyone would be signing an MoU on behalf of the NDDC and the federal government of Nigeria for the same project in 2023 without due process nor approval by the FEC in the twilight of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.”
She said the same clumsy, shady and hazy transactions of the past in NDDC which had bedeviled and stultified identifiable progress in the past, was rested with the “Forensic Audit” and the inauguration of a new board, with the sanitisation of the commission as its mantra. Lamenting that “old habits die hard”, Onochie said some individuals (within and without the commission) still retain the retrogressive mindset that has held the commission down for the past 22 years. “We cannot remain in the old dubious path.
The present board is set on transparency, equity, justice, and equality and ready to midwife and embrace other policies and programmes that would uplift and improve the lives of the good people of Niger Delta. With diligence, perseverance, persistence, and commitment, this vision would come to pass,” she said.
She called on all the Commission’s partners in this quest – CBN (TSA), the National Assembly, nine states’ governors (advisory board) and others to take note.
Onochie restated: “Epilogue: NDDC has not and could not have signed an MOU, worth $15 billion (USD) without the Board and FEC’s approval.”
We’ve got the edge. Get real-time reports, breaking scoops, and exclusive angles delivered straight to your phone. Don’t settle for stale news. Join LEADERSHIP NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates →
Join Our WhatsApp Channel
