The Nigerian Content Development and Management Board has denied claims that it spent N9.9bn on consultancy services and foreign training.
There were allegations that the board had approved the payment of the fund to a consulting firm, S.B Capital Partners & Advisory Limited.
The fund was said to be for a contract connected to the recovery of funds deducted from the Nigerian Content Development Fund by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
It was also alleged that the Top Management Committee Meeting approved money for sponsoring a five-day capacity training workshop for the board’s critical stakeholders in the financial sector, held in the United Kingdom last year.
In a statement on Saturday, the management of the NCDMB, headed by its Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, denied the allegations, saying it wishes to alert the public that a sponsored group named the Coalition of Civil Society Group for Good Governance is recycling what it called “bogus and unfounded allegations.”
The board maintained that despite dismissing these allegations, “the purveyors of this evil campaign have gone ahead to recruit unsuspecting journalists to continue to peddle their lies.”
The NCDMB restate that, “Neither the board nor the Executive Secretary spent the amount stated in the referenced statement.
“NCDMB organised a strategic workshop with Heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government that pertain to the oil and gas industry to interrogate and find areas of alignment in the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, in line with our Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap’s enabler on stakeholder collaboration and engagement.
“The workshop is held every two years and involves the leadership and senior management of those critical agencies, with a view to ensuring a harmonious policy and regulatory implementation by all agencies and institutions connected with the NOGICD Act implementation.”
The statement emphasised that due process was followed and that all expenditures in relation to the workshop and other projects of the board were made in accordance with approved financial and procurement guidelines.
“There was no such expenditure of N9.9bn by the board for consultancy services. It is instructive to note that this figure has moved from N7.7bn to this new figure within a week by these fake groups masquerading as civil society groups.
“S.B Capital Partners & Advisory Limited, engaged by the board since 2018, offers credit review services for the NCDMB Nigerian Content Intervention Fund with the Bank of Industry.
“S.B Capital Partners & Advisory Limited credit review is to determine economic viability and bankability of projects submitted to the Board through the Bank of Industry on our Nigerian Content Intervention Fund,” it stressed.
The board said it conducts all its operations within the highest levels of transparency, “which is why we have for three consecutive years won the award from the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council as the number one agency in transparency and efficiency among all federal ministries, departments, and agencies.
“We urge the media and members of the public to completely disregard the concocted allegations by these desperate individuals, who are determined to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the Board.
“We know the sources and sponsors of these attacks on the Board, and in due time, they would be revealed.”
