Semenitari fingered in missing N400 million NDDC, Rivers State Govt project fund

Rivers State Governor Nyesom  Wike, has accused the Immediate Past acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Ibim Semenitari, of allegedly conniving with the past administration led by Minister of Transportation,  Chibuike Amaechi, to embezzle state funds.

Speaking at a live Radio program on 93.7fm Port Harcourt, Wike said N400 million, which represents 50 % of the financial obligation on the part of the state government earmarked for the construction of the mother and child hospital was reportedly unaccounted for by NDDC under Semenitari.

His words: ” Look at the Mother and child hospital near the Airforce base,  this former government went and entered into an agreement with NDDC that that project was going to cost N1.7 billion .

“They said the state government paid out N800 million to NDDC. So NDDC is to bring their own N900 million to make N1.7 billion. Now the issue is this, if we are entering into a partnership with NDDC, how do I take my own N800 million and give to NDDC? NDDC becomes the agent that will be spending the money on your behalf.

“NDDC paid the contractor N400 million. When we came on board, the contractor was nowhere to be found again.

When asked why the matter was not  reported to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC, Wike said : ” Don’t go there! Have you ever seen any EFCC man trying any APC Stalwarts?

“Why would you go and waste your time? Why do you have to go and waste your time? In fact the danger is that, if you do that and they  exonerate the person, then you can’t come back again. Then you can’t come back again. But Let me not loose track of this .

“The point is, we now wrote to NDDC, at that time, Semenitari was the Managing Director of NDDC. We said look if you have N400 million of Rivers State’s money, where you don’t want to put your money give us back our money. That money has entered voicemail as I speak to you.

He stated further that in the interest of the state, he could not abandon the project and had to commence construction.

After proper reevaluation,  the contractor mobilized to site with the N400 million  initially paid to him and an additional N1.7 billion which brings the value of the project to N2.1 billion, he disclosed .

Wike noted that , ” As I speak to you,the equipment, we have paid 70% for equipping that hospital. It was not started by me, but I am just trying to let you know the kind of government we had.”

On her part when contacted by Africa Update, the former NDDC boss denied any knowledge of such letter requesting for the refund of the said amount.

Her response: “Why not check with the NDDC then? If they wrote to the NDDC, then the Commission is best placed to respond to any enquiries. If it helps, I didn’t receive any such letter while I was at the Commission. Did you ask them when they wrote to NDDC? Did you find out at what point the payment was made as well?”.