Rep blames Orubebe for non implementation of constituency project

By Lawrence Olaoye

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Albert Akintoye, representing Okitipupa/Irele federal constituency, at the weekend alleged that the former minister of Niger Delta ministry, Chief Godsday Orubebe, of deliberately frustrating the execution of his N110 million constituency’s project in the 2013 budget.

Akintoye, who is also the deputy chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta, raised the alarm when theActing Minister for Niger Delta ministry, Darius Ishaku, could not provide explanation for the non implementation of the constituency project as well as give accounts on the whereabouts of the money.

The lawmaker noted that all other constituency projects in the Ministry in the 2013 budget were implemented leaving out only that of Okitipupa/Irele federal constituency.

The committee chairman, Rep Warman Ogoriba, however assured his deputy that the money would be traced and recovered.

The committee had at the weekend invited the invited the Niger Delta ministry and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty to explain to the committee how the 2013 budget was implemented and their proposal for 2014 budget.

Speaking on the missing N110 million after the budget defence, Akintoye who felt bad that his constituency project was excluded, stated that as the only PDP member from Ondo state, he would not allow anybody to rubbish his political carrier before his people.

According to him, “The funds was released for the constituency projects in the 2013 budget, but my constituency money was not released when all were released and all efforts since then to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of the money proved abortive.

“I am the only PDP member from Ondo state in the House and as deputy chairman of the committee, I am not expected to be treated like this. The money is N110 million and has been in the ministry in the 2013 budget and 99 percent of the money were released to the listed constituency to benefit from the funds”, he stated.

He alleged that the former minister may have embezzled the money and therefore appealed to the ministry to go ahead and complete his constituency projects this year so that his people would not be alienated since they are also from the Niger Delta region.

Attempts to get the Acting minister to shed more lights on the allegation proved abortive as he was not ready to respond to all the questions directed at him and his entourage when they left the venue of the budget defence.