High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) COVID-19 Palliatives Distribution Committee, has stated that he has concrete evidence to buttress his allegations on the diversion of N6.25bn COVID-19 palliatives.
Having denied that the petition he submitted was not to blackmail the Prof. Keme Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC), he asked the IMC to be patient and also get ready to defend itself before the National Assembly.
He said:
“The unwholesome efforts by the Corporate Affairs Directorate of the NDDC to defend the indefensible acts of the IMC in the face of the overwhelming scandals and allegations smacks either deep ignorance or scantiness of facts on their part.
“It will be rather most dignifying for the NDDC to wait to defend themselves in the National Assembly probe when scheduled so they do not destroy their almost unavailable chances of justifying their malfeasance because I have evidence for every allegations contained in my petition.
“At the appropriate time, the IMC shall explain themselves and account for every kobo approved in the N6.25 billion by His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari for the benefit of the indigent people of the Niger Delta who have now been denied.
“Every claim on the purchase of the so-called medical equipment contained in their response remains false and all such distributions to states are absolutely misleading because our evidence will expose it.
“The Education, Health and Social Services Directorate (EHSS) plan was only an afterthought gimmick to cover up our whistleblowing.
“Is it not curious that a Committee properly constituted, inaugurated and task flagged off has suddenly become nonexistent and ‘redundant’ according to them just because a demand for probity and accountability is instituted?
“While I deny in entirety the falsehood that my petition is a blackmail and that the bulk of my petition dwelt on the refusal of the IMC to pay me a ‘humongous amount of money’ as they said, for being Chairman of the Committee, none of these poor and weak propaganda will deter me from setting the records straight because I am not a poor man nor a jobless folk like certain persons who came for cheap popularity as they wrongly assume.”
