Though the Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Peter Godsday Orubebe has not openly declared his intention to contest the Delta State gubernatorial election in 2015, political watchers in the state know that he is internally lobbying his way and mobilising for the race. He has, however, been evasive and has not been categorical.
When asked by journalists on several occasions about his ambition, he said that his immediate concern was to work for Mr. President, support him to deliver his Transformation Agenda and that 2015 was still very far and it was in God's hands.
"When we get to 2015, that is when other things will come up. When we get to 2015, I have the right to contest like any other Deltan but that is not in the agenda for now", he told journalists recently. Many political analysts and watchers of political events in Delta State however believe that Orubebe will be a hard sell as a candidate for the PDP in 2015 Delta State gubernatorial election because he has remained the most troubled minister under this present regime.
He was at various times accused of corruption and there have been many petitions written against him by different groups and individuals on allegation of corruption and nepotism.
A coalition of groups loyal to Edwin Clark, a prominent Ijaw figure and one-time Minister of Information, has demanded that the Nigeria's anti-corruption agency investigate Mr. Orubebe. The group known as "Delta State PDP Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum", dragged Orubebe before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The group petitioned the EFCC on June, 3 2013. Titled "A Petition On Persistent Corrupt Practices, Flagrant And Continued Disobedience of Laws of The Land By Godsday Peter Orubebe, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs," the document was signed by Godwin Ogbetuo, Brown Adasen, Cairo Ojougboh, Hope Erute and more than twenty others, including several retired military officers.
The petitioners accused the Minister of various acts of corruption, including inflation of contracts. Addressed to the EFCC chairman, the petition was also copied to President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, Senate President, David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Ekpo Nta. The document alleged that Orubebe had used his ministerial position to corruptly amass wealth for himself.
"First, we wish to express our gratitude to you and all members of your commission for granting us audience and [to] discuss, protest the over protection of Elder Godsday Orubebe of the serious and wanton corrupt practices under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs," the petition stated.
It added: "We understand several other bodies [and] groups had petitioned your commission but till date your silence had not helped coupled with the boasting of Elder Godsday Orubebe that 'with his closeness to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan' he has effectively pocketed your commission and no amount of petitions no matter how serious can see the light of the day." The petitioners alleged that Orubebe spent N1.2 billion "on a worthless canalization project which connects to nowhere."
He reportedly also spent "more than N3 billion on building a concrete foreshore wall in his village, using contractors who are fronting for him, with a view of appropriating the money to himself." The petition to the EFCC stated that the minister hails from a small community, but has concentrated several over-inflated projects in his area.
According to the petition, "The Skill Acquisition Centre meant for Delta State is also being built in Orubebe's ward of which his small village is part of it. Apart from the main contractor, all other contractors are his blood relatives who are fronting for him to collect billions."
The petitioners accused the minister of acting against the recommendation of public procurement office when he terminated the contract for the Edo State Acquisition Skill Center that was awarded to Halgold Nigeria Limited. They stated that Orubebe re-awarded the contract to Messrs. TDCI-Sew Consortium for personal reasons of greed and self-aggrandizement rather than the good of the people." The signatories to the petition implored the EFCC to live up to its billing by proving to all Nigerians that there are no sacred cows in the fight to eradicate corruption.
They added that further investigation of the minister would unearth more shocking revelations of how a pauper like Mr. Orubebe became super rich a few years after his appointment as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. The petitioners disclosed that the initial contract for the Edo State Skill Acquisition Centre was awarded in March, 2010 at the cost of N2.7 billion. But after the contract was voided by Mr. Orubebe, he re-awarded it to Halgold for more than N3 billion in March, 2012.
"However, in 2012, the Minister cancelled the contract and awarded it to TDCI-Sew Consortium on June 15, 2012" for more than N4.6 billion. "Why the frequent cancellation and re-awarding?" the petitioners demanded.
"Why the inflation of cost each time these contracts are re-awarded? These are issues to be resolved if EFCC must win the war against corruption." Also many individuals and groups from the Niger Delta have also accused him of embezzling funds that should have gone to infrastructural development in the Niger Delta.
Anti-Corruption Network group through its Executive Secretary, Hon. Dino Melaye had also petitioned the EFCC, to investigate Orubebe over what it called his alleged excesses, disregard for due process and abuse of office.
In the petition, which was dated 17th May, 2013, the group called on the EFCC to investigate alleged acts of corruption, impunity, conflict of interest and disregard of the guidelines of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, by Orubebe and his staff.
The group wanted to know how Orubebe became owner of a massive residence on a land allocated to him at Minister's Hill, Mabuchi, Abuja. The group alleged that the mansion was built for the minister by a contractor working for the Niger Delta Ministry contrary as a form of gratification.
The group also alleged that contracts awarded by the Niger Delta ministry under Orubebe's watch are marked by corruption and irregularities, and has led to altercations between the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
The Anti-Corruption Network is not the first group to raise issues against Godsday Orubebe. Another anti-corruption group, Transparency Initiative, had also written a petition to the Bureau of Public Procurement to protest alleged shoddy handling of the Skill Acquisition Centre projects by the Niger Delta Ministry, alleging that under Orubebe, the contracts for the eight Skill Acquisition Centres were inflated by N4.9 billion.