Activists under the auspices of 21st Century Youths of Niger-Delta and Agitators for Conscience, (21st CYNDAC), have lamented that the current situation in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is messier than the situation it was when President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the agency two years ago.
The group in a statement by its spokesperson, Izon Ebi called on Buhari to immediately inaugurate a substantive board of the NDDC.
According to the group, the body language of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has shown that he is allegedly trying to hoodwink Niger Deltans to dominate NDDC for his political gains.
The group added that Akpabio has succeeded in arm wrestling Buhari to concede the supervision of NDDC to him, adding that Niger Deltans are awakened with bogus allegations of bribery and payments of frivolous water desilting jobs that are not done anywhere in the region.
They also called on leadership of the National Assembly, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to advise Buhari to immediately inaugurate the NDDC board in the best interest of the region.
The statement reads, “What is happening in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, presently is worse than what gave birth to Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, calling for a forensic audit of the NDDC.”
“We, therefore, call on the leadership of the National Assembly, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to do the needful by advising Mr. President to immediately inaugurate the substantive board of NDDC so as not to be seen as the persons that conspired with Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, to plunge Niger Delta region into fresh crisis capable of eroding the gains of the present peace being enjoyed by Niger -Deltans and oil multinationals.
“We also call on Mr President to immediately inaugurate the substantive board of the NDDC to avoid Niger Delta youths going into artisanal petroleum refineries that have been the order of the day in the region because of the failure of inaugurating the substantive board of the NDDC.
“The 21st CYNDAC is sounding it very loud in order not to ground the economy of the nation. As it stands now, Niger Deltans have lost confidence in the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and the outcome of the forensic audit.
“The minister is seen as a person that can trade his people and the peace of the Niger Delta region for his political aspirations and selfish disposition and gains.
“The 21st CYNDAC condemns in strong terms the antics of the minister because his body language and actions.
“He has succeeded in running the NDDC aground by putting everybody in the Niger Delta in an autoroute mood of imminent violence and anarchy. Akpabio is running the NDDC as his private owned company.
“Niger Deltans are awakened with bogus allegations of bribery and payments of frivolous water desilting jobs that are not done anywhere in the region because of kickback of 70 per cent percent without the jobs done.
“We are back to the status quo because some top officials too are collecting kickback of 10 per cent of every payment made to contractors. It is glaringly clear that somebody has succeeded in arm twisting Mr President to concede the supervision of the NDDC to himself, which is now administered as a private owned company.
“Nigerians and Niger Deltans knows the truth and cannot be hoodwinked by the bogus, frivolous and politically motivated forensic audit that was done to muzzle Niger -Deltans under Akpabio’s political dominance.
“As it stands, the North East Development Commission is making progress without any contribution to the nation’s GDP, but the Niger Delta region that pays the supreme sacrifice of contributing 80 per cent to the nation’s GDP is being used by our so -called leaders and politicians for political brinkmanship and showmanship to the detriment of the pathetic plight of the Niger Delta region and its people.
“It is glaring clear to all Niger Delta leaders, youths and Nigerians that the minister was never sincere from the onset, but was just a political ploy to hoodwink Mr. President to stamp his dominance in the politics of Niger Delta because of his presidential ambition come 2023. The chicken has come out to roast as every Nigerian is aware of the antics of Akpabio.
“With the present clampdown of artisan refineries by the governor of Rivers state and security agencies, we are gradually moving to the status quo of destruction of pipelines which will affect the economy and revenue of the nation.
“The president should do the needful to avoid Niger Delta youths going back to the dark days of old,” the group warned.
