There has been an uneasy calm in the Niger Delta following the mind boggling findings that the probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the National Assembly has unearthed.
In many parts of the region, anxious stakeholders are calling on the presidency to implement the senate recommendations on the activities of the commission as the probe continues to unsettle many.
This is coming as a Senate Ad hoc committee report and recommendations indicted the NDDC’s Interim Management Committee (IMC) last week, asking its officials to refund the ‘recklessly’ spent money amounting to N4.923 billion naira.
Read also: N81.5bn NDDC Fraud Scandal: Senate Wraps Up Probe, Submits Report To Buhari
The sum which is part of the N81.5 billion that has been a subject of investigation by the National Assembly, was reportedly misappropriated by the IMC, mainly during the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the country.
The Senate Ad hoc Committee had queried how the NDDC’s IMC expended the extra budgetary sum on staff and contractors in breach of the procurement process and approvals at a time the country was under a lockdown.
The embattled IMC which has been under-fire over its alleged reckless spending and executive malfeasance could not explain how the whopping money was blown within the period.
Read also: How NDDC’s IMC Spent N81.5bn In Eight Months, Senate Panel Reveals
The IMC had during the senate public hearing on the N81.5 billion allegations, gave a breakdown of the expended N4.923 billion as cost for overseas travel to the United Kingdom gulped N85.7million. Senate report said the money was paid to 14 staff of NDDC’s IMC to travel to the United Kingdom.
The IMC, also claimed that scholarship grants to Niger Delta students studying abroad cost the sum of N105.5million. It also claimed that the NDDC’s union members had a trip to Italy which cost 164.2million. The payment was reportedly made on April 3, 2020, to some NDDC union executives for an International Labour Organisation conference in Turin, Italy during the worldwide lockdown, according to senate investigative report.
Also, the probe revealed how Lassa Fever Kit was allegedly bought for Niger Delta states at the cost of N1.96billon, while N1.12billion was claimed to have been spent on public communications and another N1.96billion on COVID-19 relief to residents of the region.
The Chairman of the Senate Ad hoc Committee set up to probe the NDDC, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North), described the use of the funds as “financial recklessness” in breach of the procurement process and approvals.
While presenting the Committee’s report and adopted recommendations, Adetunmbi said: “In conclusion, the Committee noted that it is difficult to find a correlation between Niger Delta community development and cash invested in the zone.
In view of this, the Senate Ad hoc Committee recommended the sack of the IMC to President Muhammadu Buhari, as well as reversal of the NDDC to the Office of the Secretary the Government of the Federation (SGF) for proper supervision.
NDDC, prior to President Buhari-led administration, was under the supervision of the SGF.
Giving reason why President Buhari should dissolve the controversial Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei-led IMC, Senator Adetunmbi opined, “Continued cash injection in the Niger Delta challenge issue has not worked under the various IMCs.
“It may be useful at this juncture for the Government to intervene by stepping down the EIMC (Executive Interim Management Committee), thereby helping them leave the stage for a properly constituted board with specific mandate to address the pains of the Niger Delta people”.
Meanwhile, stakeholders have called on the President to heed the Senate’s call as stated in its recommendations by dissolving IMC, warning that failure to get to the root of all the issues raised could spark unrest in the regionas several groups are threatening mass protest.
One of the groups, coming under the auspices of Niger Delta Development Initiative (NDDI), is already mobilizing critical stakeholders and well-meaning individuals in the region to march against the continuous stay of the IMC.
The group is rooting for the immediate sack of Senator Godswill Akpabio, the current minister of the Niger Delta Affair who supervises NDDC; outright dissolution of the Interim Management Committee and demand for the reconstitution of a Board for NDDC. The nation’s main opposition party, People’s Democratic Party had last week demanded the sack of Akpabio and dissolution of the IMC.
NDDI warned that failure to meet their demands within time could lead to chaos and disruption of oil facilities across the region.
“We note with anger the perceived corruption allegedly displayed or committed by Senator Akpabio and other members of the IMC which catered away billions of naira met for the development of region in line with the core mandates of NDDC was the height of inhuman and wickedness”.
The group alleged that Akpabio, the acting Executive Director, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh and other “cohorts” had ran NDDC as their “personal empire” and “one-man-show” to the detriment of the region.
They reminded those allegedly “looting the commission” that establishment of NDDC was a product of prolonged negotiations during the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta.
According to the statement, “it is sad to note that Dr Cairo Ojuogboh who is from Agbor in Delta state which does not produce even a drop of oil dictating the actions, programs and policies of NDDC.
“They did not only stole the future of the people but also stole education and made countless Niger Deltans illiterate, they stole healthcare and killed countless children as well as money meant for generating employment and made millions jobless”.
President of the group, Comrade Famous Daunimegha and Spokesman, Prince Kakas Amgbare, signed the statement on behalf of the group.
Meanwhile, The New Diplomat earlier reported a group of leaders, elders and stakeholders under the auspices of the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), had on Wednesday, said they are not interested in the drama and semantics playing out since the NDDC probe started, but instead want the presidency and National Assembly to get to the root of the allegations and take decisive decision in the interest of the oil-rich region.
“All the Niger Delta wants is that justice be done and stolen loot recovered,” Mr. Tony I. Uranta, the group’s Secretary General said in a statement.
“UNDEDSS has repeatedly decried the quantum of corruption that has become the trademark of the NDDC and the governments of the Niger Delta.
“We have been totally in support of the current renewed anti-corruption stance and directives of President Buhari; especially the demand that a comprehensive forensic audit be carried out as directed by Mr. President, and, that those indicted be made to face the full consequences of criminality in courts of law.”
The group therefore called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the comprehensive Forensic Audit, is speedily carried out without tainting the process, or further shortchanging the region.
The stakeholders demand a forensic audit that would be witnessed by internationally recognised credible organisations, with the representatives of the police, NFIU, EFCC, and DSS as observers in the first instance. They also demanded that the name (s) of the forensic auditors be made public to Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the group, Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHURAC), has described the situation in NDDC as a “horrible matter” that demand urgent intervention.
The group stated that the Niger Delta is currently “facing two ways dimensional scams” from the supervising Minister to the NDDC and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) on one side Oyinkedi Fuofegha, Publicity Secretary, of the group said in a statement.
The group said both Akpabio and the IMC need to be probed by the presidency in the same manner they did to the former Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, so as to unearth the mysteries behind the allegations against them.
“While the accusers, the National Assembly ad hoc or standing Committees on Niger Delta should be investigated properly by the anti-graft agencies”, the group added.
Making their demands in a statement on Saturday, CHURAC said, “The presidency should invoke the National Inquiry Act to empanel reputable Nigerians in order to take carry out a holistic investigation of all allegations and counter allegations against the interim management team of the Commission and members of the National Assembly.
“The NASS is in all sense of probity, prudence and accountability lacked the natural principles of fair hearing to investigate corruption in NDDC when its members are accused of neck deep in the largesse. President Buhari should immediately intervene to unravel the truth.
“We said it in different forum that NDDC is swimming on a cesspool of corruption. Indeed, the purpose of its establishment has been defeated. Though we supported the IMC because of the way and manner Buhari disobeyed the NDDC enabling Act in constituting that botched substantive board.
“However, we didn’t support them to be soiled in the looting spree.
“Our appeal therefore is that Buhari should disband the IMC immediately. He should just appoint a substantive board in line with the NDDC Establishment Act, 2000 while the forensic audit goes on. The Commission should be removed from Akpabio’s coordination in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and be given back to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“The forensic audit should also cover the periods Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Coordinating Minister to NDDC and the IMC are holding sway the Commission.
“Buhari should leave no stone unturned if he is fighting corruption,” the group reiterated.
