By Ayodele Oni
National President, Oil and Gas Producing States of Nigeria, Chief Akpo-otupeikumo Douere, has advised President Bola Tinubu to retain the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the supervision of Ministry of Niger Delta.
Reacting in a statement to the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta, Douere pointed out that those behind the call were doing it for personal gains.
“For the sake of the record, the only noteworthy project credited to the NDDC since its inception in 2000, is the NDDC secretariat constructed within the past three years, during the period when the NDDC was under the supervision of the ministry led by Senator Godswill Akpabio as Minister.
“Therefore, the motive behind this money-for-hire agitators seems to be driven by personal interest rather than the region’s well-being.
“At this juncture, what we should do is appeal to the current minister to establish accountability and good governance within the NDDC, in alignment with Mr. President’s renewed hope agenda.
“These self-seeking individuals are requesting additional funds from the government for the NDDC, yet the previously allocated funds have not been effectively utilized over time.
“The motive behind such a request becomes apparent. The NDDC can only seek more funding if there is proof of accountability and good governance. Otherwise, any such request would merely contribute to further enriching the pockets of those involved in corruption.
“The Ministry of Niger Delta was created, specifically, to ‘focus on infrastructural development, environmental protection, and empowerment of youths in the oil-rich Niger Delta region’, which continues to be significantly affected by the oil and gas industry, and remains the backbone of the national economy.
“This Ministry, created by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2008, and sustained under his two immediate predecessors – Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, helped advance the cause of peace in the Niger Delta region.
“Reports indicate that from 2000 till date, over 20 Trillion Naira has been allocated to the NDDC alone; this quantum amount of money can transform a Nation, not just a region. However, it’s concerning that only 1.1% of the total population in the region benefits from this corrupt governance arrangement.
“It’s unfortunate to note that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), established in 2000, only came under the oversight of the Niger Delta Development Ministry three and a half years ago. Prior to that, it had been under the supervision of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for about 20 years.
“Those advocating for the NDDC to be removed from the purview of the Niger Delta Development Ministry ought to substantiate their stance with compelling proof of effective governance and substantial accomplishments by the interventionist agency throughout its tenure.
“These individuals, often backed by self-interested motives, seem intent on preserving the current situation to continue exploiting the NDDC’s resources at the expense of the region’s well-being.
“Aside from certain vested interests within the NDDC sponsoring such regressive and corruption-laden reports, there are external vested interests that believe they should control the Minister’s appointment to continue their looting spree.”
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