The mind-boggling allegations of reckless spending and misappropriation of funds by management of two main zonal intervention agencies – Niger Delta Development Commission and the North East Develo...
The mind-boggling allegations of reckless spending and misappropriation of funds by management of two main zonal intervention agencies – Niger Delta Development Commission and the North East Development Commission – have necessitated fresh demands that they should be scrapped. SUNDAY ABORISADE writes
Akpabio and the IMC also argued that the NDDC probe instituted by both panels was aimed at blackmailing the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to dump the forensic exercise it initiated to sanitise the intervention agency. She hurriedly submitted her written presentation to the panel’s secretariat and granted an explosive press interview that became a trending matter for days. During the interview, she did not only accuse Akpabio of sexual harassment, she also claimed that the minister sacked her unjustifiably because of her alleged refusal to swear an oath of secrecy to perpetrate corrupt practices in the NDDC.
He therefore asked the committee chairman to step down committee carrying out the investigation. The insistence of the lawmakers that nobody could decide its modus operandi forced the NDDC management to stage a walk-out. The House leadership did not take the allegation with levity as they threatened legal actions against him if he failed to produce evidence to back up his claims.
The lawmakers took the decision last week while adopting a motion brought under matters of urgent national importance by the minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu. The Programmes Director of Development Dynamics, a non-governmental organisation, Dr Jude Ohanele, described the NDDC as a fraudulent organisation and total embarrassment to the people of the region.
He, instead, advocated the strengthening of the legal framework regarding them to enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability. “The National Assembly has a responsibility to ensure a proactive and responsive oversight while the executive arm of government also has a responsibility to ensure that the agency carries out projects meant to have direct impact on the lives of the people in their mandate states.
“Sending the proceeds of oil to Abuja for redistribution to the Niger Delta people through the NDDC is counterproductive. We don’t need the NDDC. What we need is to allow the people of Niger Delta to control their resources.” “The two commissions are never needed if all government agencies are very proactive, effective and transparent in their responsibilities. It’s a fact that from 2000 till date, trillions of naira have been looted in NDDC alone.
“It happened before and can happen again. Scrapping the NDDC will be declaring another predatory war on a region whose oil and gas resources have been plundered and looted by the Federal Government for over 60 years.
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