N480billion Fraud Allegation Against Me is False, Says Umana Umana
- Umana Okon Umana has dismissed allegations made against him, including a claim of N480 billion fraud by some unknown persons
- The minister of Niger Delta affairs also said the allegation of non-performance peddled against him by the petitioners is baseless
- The anonymous writers had made series of allegations against the Akwa Ibom-born minister in a petition
FCT, Abuja - The minister of Niger Delta affairs, Mr Umana Okon Umana, has dismissed as false and totally baseless, a series of allegations made against him, including a claim of N480 billion fraud.
In rejecting the false allegations made by professional petition writers to the National Assembly, Umana said no fraud has been committed under his watch in the ministry and that no money has been released or expended on the projects cited in the petition.
Source: Twitter
The minister explained that in line with his directive at the last meeting of the National Council, adjustments had been made in the 2022 budget proposals of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to accommodate core regional infrastructure projects based on a new template for the development of the Niger Delta region.
His words:
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“It is senseless for the petitioners to allege that the compilation of projects to include in the budget proposals of NDDC for 2022 for transmission to the National Assembly is a crime.
“Everything is at the proposal stage; no contracts have been awarded and no money has been disbursed or expended. Anything to the contrary is false and should be dismissed in its entirety.”
Umana equally refuted another allegation in the petition that he sacked 700 workers in the NDDC on assumption of duty as minister, adding that he has not sacked any worker in the commission.
The minister recalled that on assumption of duty, he was briefed by both the ministry and the NDDC, whose interim administrator at the time complained of a bloated staff strength which made him (the minister) to ask what the interim administrator had done about it.
The minister said after the inaugural briefing, the interim administrator of the NDDC never came back to him on any action he had taken or planned to take on the issue.
He further said the allegation of non-performance peddled against him in the petition is baseless, adding that he reports to the president, and not to hired petition writers.
Buhari sacks NDDC sole administrator, approves constitution of new management team
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari recently approved the disengagement of the interim administrator of the NDDC, Effiong Okon Akwa.
A statement released by the ministry of Niger Delta affairs indicates that the disengagement is with effect from Thursday, October 20.
The president also approved the constitution of a new management team and governing board of the NDDC.
Pokop Bupwatda: President Buhari makes new appointment at JUTH
In a related development, President Buhari approved the appointment of Dr Pokop Bupwatda as the new Chief Medical Director of Jos University Teaching Hospital.
The news was contained in a statement issued on Thursday, October 20, by Ahmadu Chindaya, the deputy director of the media and public relations unit of the federal ministry of health.
Chindaya disclosed that Bupwatda’s appointment was conveyed in a letter signed by the minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.
Source: Legit.ng
