By Gbenga Abulude
A socio-cultural group, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has stated that the on-going probe of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) may not achieve its desired result.
The UPU also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to swear in Mr. Bernard Okumagba as the substantive Managing Director of the NDDC alongside other members of the newly constituted NDDC board to bring sanity to the Commission.
Recall a new NDDC board to be headed by Okumagba has since been constituted, screened and approved by the Senate.
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The group President-General, Olorogun Moses Taiga spoke to newsmen in Lagos at the weekend. He said that the NDDC lacked credible leadership, stressing that those without the required skills and training were at the helm of affairs.
Taiga insists the starting point was to stop the injustice in the commission by allowing Okumagba to assume his position.
“Every problem must have cause and effect. It is a shame that what we fought for to alleviate the suffering of our people is being mismanaged.
“Okumagba should be the managing director. He has been sworn in by the Senate. The probe will lead to nowhere. It is a drama. What is the level of involvement of indigenes in NDDC contracts? We wait for the forensic probe, although nothing will come out of it.
“We need to know those who have done contracts with NDDC to know the proportion that has come to Niger Delta.”
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The group also wants governments to provide infrastructure in Urhobo land saying “We need federal roads, particularly the East-West road, which has remained uncompleted for over 20 years, the Ughelli/Asaba road and Benin/Sapele road.”
