NDDC Is No Longer Serving the People of Niger Delta, Group alleges -By Tife Owolabi

A Niger Delta transparency group, the Ijaw Interest Advocates (IIA) also known as Izanzan Intellectual Camp has described the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a failed interventionist agency, saying it no longer serve the interest of the people of the region.

According to the group, the three years of NDDC under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and former Minister Godswill Akpabio, the region became retrogressive ans returned back to the dark days of under development before creation of the commission.

The group, in a statement issued by it’s National Coordinator, Comrade Ererebo Yerinmene Salaco |SNR allege that during the tenure of Minister Godswill Akpabio, the NDDC was traded out to cabals within the Presidency due to selfish Presidential Ambition at the detriment of the Niger Delta region.

The group stated that ” the commission is no longer serving the people of Niger Delta, the Monies ment for the development of the region are now shared freely In Abuja.The damage caused by Akpabio and the NDDC cabal in the Presidency within the short period of 3 years is worst than all the years put together from the inception of the commission.”

“As we speak, the cabal in the presidency is absolutely in control and have refused to lose grip of the commission to serve the Niger Delta and its people. NDDC is the latest fat cash cow and it’s a conduit pipe where free funds are looted unchallenged.”

“Anytime money is released from Abuja to NDDC it usually comes with a long list of fake emergency and disilting jobs from the Abuja cabal contractors, most of them without site to be paid, leaving genuine contractors in the Niger Delta to their fate.”

“They are working to cancel over 2000 existing jobs when they have awarded themselves fake fresh jobs in Abuja. In fact, it’s those fake emergency and disilting jobs without site or location they have been paying in Abuja for almost 4 years now.”

“How can they cancel jobs that are duly awarded when they didn’t mobilise with a penny?. The little efforts the contractors made are still unpaid for; instead, Abuja cabal and the system are busy looting the money meant for the development of the region.”

“Some of the looters that created the dislocation of the system with Akpabio, awarded fresh emergency contracts to themselves and got paid in billions without due process, are same people calling for the cancellation of jobs/contracts that passed through due process of tender bidding, BPP and even FEC approval”.

“The monies meant for the all round development of the region doesn’t get to Niger Delta any longer but are freely shared in Abuja everyday by those that dont have a cup of crude oil in their backyards. Contractors are crying in Niger Delta, common Niger Deltans are suffering and dying everyday while the cabal continue to butcher the money in Abuja without fear yet our people are mute over this enhancing injustice that is endangering the furture of the Niger Delta.”

“More provokingly, Akpabio supported by the current presidency indeed, was a major disaster to the Niger Delta. NDDC have eleven directorates designed for eleven directors but Akpabio for his political ambition, flooded the system with over 60 directors to satify his kinsmen. Some had triple promotions, some employed as directors, so the entire system is in ruins under watch of the presidency. Who will now take care of the many bogus allowances meant for the directors?.”

“He employed thousands of people from outside the Niger Delta for an agency meant to employ Niger Deltans and to develop the region that had suffered untold age long deprivation. To start with, how many Niger Deltans are employed in the North East Development Commission?”

“I don’t blame them, when you hand over a sensitive office like NDDC, to a near imbecile like Akpabio and a group of blind people because of greed what do u expect?? “

Tife Owolabi
Journalist
Niger Delta
@tifeowolabi