The brazen corruption and ineptitude rocking the Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godsday Peter Orubebe, who has continued with those who are accusing him of these corruptions not giving up as a recent petition written by a group known as Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum has further exposed the corrupt practices of the Niger Delta Affairs Minister.
The petition dated June 3rd 2013, which was received by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on June 11th2013 and titled: A Petition on Economic Persistent Corrupt Practices, Flagrant and Continued Disobedience of Law of the Land By Godsday Peter Orubebe, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs made available to universalreporters.info opened up alleged corrupt practices of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe.
According to the petitioners they stated in their Petition that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, which was created in 2008 by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to address the lack of infrastructure, development that had led to youth restiveness and militancy.
However, it was gathered from the petitioners that the Ministry also proposed the construction of Skills Acquisition Centers in each of the nine states that made up Niger Delta, for the purpose of developing, harnessing the talents of the youths of the area that produces the wealth of the Nation.
Though this proposal was projected for the building of this skills acquisition centers, their construction for the intended purpose which they were made have been shrouded in secrecy, as the petitioners accused Orubebe whom they said in their petition that he came from a very small community of Ogboagbene in Burutu Local Government Council of Delta State have spent on a worthless canalization project which connects to nowhere at a cost of N1.2 billion, as he equally spent over 3 billion on building a concrete foreshore wall in his village, using contractors who were fronting for him, with a view of approaching the money to himself.
Meanwhile it was also gathered that the Skill Acquisition Center meant for Delta State is also built in his ward of which his small village is part of it. Apart from the main contractors all other contractors are his blood relatives who are fronting for him to collect billions of tax payers’ money. It should be noted the Skill Acquisition Center is in Tuomo which is part of Orubebe’s village in Burutu local government council.
In another case where he showed his corruption tendency was in the case of Edo State Skill Acquisition Center, according to the report against the recommendation of Public Procurement, Edo State Acquisition, awarded to Haglod Nigeria Limited was terminated, Godsday Orubebe re-awarded the contract to Messers TDCI-Sew Consortium for personal reasons of greed and self aggrandizement rather than good of the people.
As gathered, the contract for the Edo State Skills Acquisition Ceneter was initially awarded in March, 2010 at the cost of N2.7 billion but was voided by Godsday Orubebe without reason and re-awarded to Messers Halgold Nigeria Limited for three billion,one hundred and fifty million, fifty-five thousand, one hundred and six naira, three kobo, in march, 2012. However, in 2012, the Minister cancelled the contract and awarded it to TDCI-Sew Consortium on June 15, 2012 for the sum of N4, 627,222,904 without due process. Why the frequent cancellation and re-awarding? Why the inflation of cost of each time these contracts are re-awarded? These are issues to be resolved if must Nigeria must win the war against corruption.
More so the petitioners said in order to show the hidden interest of Godsday Orubebe which bothers on corruptly enriching himself, it should be noted by the time the tenders were opened on the 14th of March, 2013, TDCI Sew Consortium whom the contract was re-awarded to, was not a registered company in Nigeria. This was to corruptly use companies as front to fraudulently enrich himself. Messrs TDCI-Sew Consortium was registered on the 18th of June, 2012 yet he bided and Godsday Orubebe as Minister of Niger Delta awarded him the contract.
Also the Bureau of Public Procurement Report advised that unit of Messrs TDCI-Sew –Consortium was too high and cannot be justified. However, Messrs TDCI Sew –Consortium has a capital of N15 million only, yet the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, under Godsday Orubebe awarded a multi-billion naira Project to the company.
However, it was gathered that the Bureau of Public Procurement in dissatisfaction with the actions of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs under Godsday Orubebe on Messrs TDCI-Sew-Consortium said “due process certificate of no objection cannot be guaranteed to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for the re-award of the contract for construction of Skills Acquisition center in Edo State in favour of Messrs. TDCI- Sew Consortium in the sum of N4, 627,222,904 but the certificate of no objection can be granted to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for the contract in favour if Messrs Halgold Nigeria Limited in the sum of N3,150,065,136.03.”
However, instead of honouring the report, the Niger Delta Ministry of Affairs under Orubebe as Niger Delta Minister disregarded the report as Orubebe wrote a letter to the Bureau of Public Procurement making a case in favour of Messrs TDCI-Sew-Consortium in reference number MNDA/ID/247/Vol.IT/88 dated 2ndJuly, 2012, making a very strong case for the Messrs TDCI-Sew- Consortium despite their conclusions. Why would the Minister make such a case if he habours no interest in the award of the contract?
In a related development, Godsday Orubebe like any other government official and Minister was living in Ministers’ quarters, Minister Hill, Mabushi Area of Abuja. However, in the same area he acquired a land and secured the services of a construction company (Setraco) working in the East-West road to build for him a magnificent building on a plot at no personal cost. This property is worth more than one billion naira. This no doubt, is using his office to enrich himself as a public servant.
Aside the Setraco, he also got another construction company working in East-West Road(Gitto) an Italian Company to furnish the building lavishly at a free cost like a gift. Unfortunately, the Managing Director of the Company Collapsed in the office of Godsday Peter Orubebe and died later. Godsday Oruebe attended the burial in Italy.
The petitioners added further that, surprisingly Elder Godsday Orubebe denied in widely carried news in electronic and print media, claiming that he was a tenant and the building does not belong to him.
Meanwhile in a motion when the House of Representatives was doing a probe on the scam, Hon. Odeneyi Kehinde in his debate said, the motion had become very necessary following “disclosure of alleged corrupt practices labeled against a sitting Minister by some Anti-Corruption outfits in the country.” A summary of the allegation run thus; The Hon. Minister has paid for 20 many phantom projects. The Hon. Minister’s Bureau, is a case of Perjury if established, for instance, he posited that he was a seating tenant at his Mabushi Multi-billion naira but searches from Abuja Geographic and Information Services proves beyond reasonable doubt that the property is not only his but it is in his name. These weighty allegations were at first rubbished and dismissed by the Hon. Minister as handiwork of his detractors and some mischief makers who were out for extortion. What is baffling Mr. Speaker is not allegation of corruption against the Hon. Minister but the fact that neither EFCC nor ICPC has deemed it fit to wade into it.”
The Hon. Member in his motion further said; “we have seen how these agencies zealously pursue other far less allegations involving less than $5,000.0, their silence on this matter is casting a very doubt on President Jonathan’s crusade against corruption.”
Meanwhile the petitioners are asking; “Could the inability of EFCC and ICPC stem from the fact that Orubebe is super powerful and above the law as claimed?”
