MATTEW Urhoghide, Senator representing Edo South at the Senate has refuted claims by Godwill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as one of the members of the National Assembly that were awarded contracts by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). 

Urhoghide, while responding to the claims by Akpabio on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday described the claim as unfortunate, untrue, and referring to it as a ploy to mislead the public and deceive his constituency in particular.

He stated that the Minister’s list was false, adding that the records of the NDDC were incorrect.

“Akpabio’s records are not even correct. The contracts (NDDC) I have attracted to my constituency are in excess of 11, Akpabio does not know what is going on,” Urhoghide said.

The lawmaker was named by Akpabio, as one of the lawmakers who benefited from contracts racketeering in the NDDC  and was allegedly awarded six contracts by the Commission.

“For Akpabio to say I have been a beneficiary is unfortunate and is a wicked lie and I just believe whatever mischief he wanted to perpetuate, I think Nigerians, through my own explanation, should be able to read between the lines,” Urhoghide said.

He further explained that of the six contracts mentioned by the Minister, four are street lights projects that are ongoing.

According to him, the contracts were all gotten through competitive bidding, adding that the projects are NDDC projects in his constituency.