James Ibori’s Denies Akpabio’s NDDC Corruption Allegation.

Chief James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta State, has reacted to Godswill Akpabio’s NDDC corruption allegation against him.

The Former Governor of Delta state stated that the comments by the minister of Niger Delta affairs was ridiculous and denied benefiting from contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as alleged by Akpabio.

Godswill Akpabio in a letter sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, named former Delta state Governors, James Ibori and Emmanuel Uduaghan as beneficiaries of NDDC contracts.

Also Read: Akpabio Names Ibori, Uduaghan In NDDC Corruption Scandal.(See Details)

However, Chief Ibori in a statement made available by his media aide, Tony Eluemunor, has stated that the allegations by Godswill Akpabio are ridiculous and false.

Eluemunor said Ibori, on hearing the news of the alleged NDDC contract awarded did not want to join in the “dancing in the market square” going on in the NDDC right now.

He said he has decided to make this clarification for the records because friends and associates inundated him with phone calls on the development, adding: “So, he is stating categorically that he never solicited for, or was awarded, or indeed executed, any contract with NDDC or any government agency, at any time, for that matter.”

“And in all he has been through in and out of public office, he has never been accused of being a government contractor, let alone a failed one hence he did not want to dignify the allegation with a response because it is ridiculous.

“So, Ibori is advising Akpabio, his brother, friend and member of the former Governors Forum, to please calm down and focus on the task at hand.

Ibori said that the NDDC “we have today” is a product of his personal sacrifice as well as those of his Niger Delta colleagues (1999-2007) who rose to the occasion to override the veto of President Olusegun Obasanjo who refused to assent to the NDDC Bill at the time.

“If not for the exemplary courage some of us exhibited, there would have not been an NDDC to bicker about today,” he said, adding: “Watching the level the NDDC has degenerated to, is a tragedy.

“We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta to make NDDC work to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the region and to realise the dream for which we fought for it to be set up.

“So, let everybody involved in the NDDC do their duties to the good people of the region.” the Former Delta State Governor stated.