Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, on Tuesday denied a claim by a group, Anti-Corruption Network, that it had uncovered a N6.6bn contract fraud in the ministry.

Orubebe, at a press conference in Abuja, said there was no iota of truth in the group’s claim.

Orubebe said the Founder and Executive Secretary of the group, Mr. Dino Melaye, who also accused the ministry of contract inflation, was ignorant of the Due Process Act operating in the country.

The minister said the claim by the group was baseless as the Niger Delta ministry was not involved in contract evaluation.

Orubebe said  his ministry couldn’t have inflated contracts as claimed by Melaye’s group as all new contracts above N1bn had to be referred to the Federal Executive Council.

He said, “On the allegation of contract inflation, it shows those making the allegation did not know the process of contract award and evaluation.

“The Niger Delta Ministry is not involved in contract evaluation. The due Process Act is clear on it. There is a procurement law, contract evaluation is not done by the ministry.  All the processes were done by the Due Process Office.”

When asked if the ministry had performed in accordance with its set goals, Orubebe said inadequate budgetary provisions for the programmes of the ministry, caused by competing demands from other critical areas from the Federal Government, had been an impediment.

via Punch