- Wants President To Unravel Cause Of Death
- Insists Nothing Must Stall N|Assembly probe of NDDC
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The last may not have been heard about the death of the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ibanga Etang, as Afigh Iwaad Ekid, a social-cultural organization in Akwa-Ibom state has called for a thorough investigation into the death of Etang.
The deceased who hailed from Akwa-Ibom was a member of the socio-cultural organisation and had reportedly served as its president in the past.
In a letter to President Muhammad Buhari, the organization, among other requests, is appealing to the good nature of the president to use his good office to get to the root of their illustrious member’s death who according to the organization died “under unexplainable and very suspicious circumstances.”
Recall that Ibang Etang died on May 28th prior to the commencement of investigations into the finances and operations of the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC) by the National Assembly, over alleged misappropriation of N40 billion by the commission.
The commission, however, in reaction to the director’s death ordered the immediate closure of its headquarters in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State and asked the entire staff to self-isolate; a move insinuating that the director might have died of the ravaging coronavirus.
Meanwhile, barely a week after Etang’s death, Charles Odili, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the NDDC via a statement issued on Tuesday said Etang tested positive for coronavirus and the resulting complications claimed his life. He also said the deceased’s family had authorized the Commission to make public the test outcome on the late Etang.
The NDDC in a statement issued by Odili said: “The family has authorized the commission to announce that the late executive director tested positive to Covid-19.
“The Rivers State Ministry of Health has written to the Commission to also confirm the death resulting from complications to COVID-19.”
However, the group, Afigh Iwaad Ekid, said it is taking none of NDDC’s statements concerning the death of their former president. According to the group, there is more to Etang’s death than meets the eye.
It added that the fact that the commission admitted that some of the sensitive documents that might aid the ongoing probe of the commission were in the deceased’s custody weeks before he died. According to the group, this development has triggered many questions demanding answers.
The group said it is seeking answers the following questions: “One, how come Hon. Ibanga Etang died just few days to the probe of the NDDC by the National Assembly, especially after the Commission had, some weeks ago, admitted that the sensitive documents which would aid the probe were in the custody of the Executive Director for Finance and Administration?
“Two, how come the NDDC was quick to link the death of the Ag. Executive Director to the dreaded Coronavirus, even when the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the body authorized to make such declaration had not done so?
“In other words, we are wondering what could have been the motive behind the Commission’s hasty decision to take the precautionary measure of temporarily shutting down its headquarters for two weeks without the involvement of the NCDC, if not for the purpose of eventually attributing the cause of his death to Corona Virus?
“On this, we consider the defence presented by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Charles Odili, on Friday, May 29, 2020, an afterthought, or the desperation of a drowning man who is willing to clutch at a straw.”
The group alleged that the director’s death is suspicious as it curiously coincides with a decision by the National Assembly to carry out an investigation or probe into NDCC’s operations over alleged misappropriation of N40billion fund.
The group further alleged among other things that their brother died mysteriously. The group demanded, as a mark of last respects to their late brother, a forensic postmortem devoid of the NDDC’s involvement so that the real cause of the director’s death might be ascertained and made known.
It, however, insisted the investigation into alleged financial misappropriation in the NDDC must run its course while urging President Muhammadu to weigh in on the matter in a bid to get to the root of the issues.
“However, for record and clarity purpose, we wish to explicitly state our prayers as follows:That a machinery be set in motion to thoroughly investigate to unravel the cause of the death of our brother and leader, ObongIwaad (Hon.) Ibanga Etang. In other words, we demand to know, from a forensic autopsy that is devoid of the involvement of NDDC, what actually killed him.
“That the death of Hon. Ibanga Etang, the Executive Director of Finance and Administration of the Interim Management Committee of NDDC should not stall the process of auditing the Commission and investigating the 40 Billion Naira Palliative Fund.
“Your Excellency, we consider you a man of high integrity and pedigree; hence, we pray that you bring your history of integrity to bear in the direction of our requests,” the letter read.
