How Buhari Shocked Akpabio’s Foes At NDDC

By Chuks Ekpeneru

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday shocked some Niger-Delta indigenes who have been calling for an investigation into the activities of the Professor Keme Pondei-led Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by extending its tenure up to December 31, 2020.

The President Buhari equally approved that the NDDC provides intervention support to complement efforts of the Federal and state governments against further spread of COVID-19 in the nine states of the Niger Delta region to the tune of N6,250,000,000.00.

For some time, the actions of the NDDC had come under scrutiny with some groups alleging massive corruption by the IMC. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has also been accused by the groups of lending support to what they say is a fraudulent practice in the intervention body.

For example, the Kingsley Dapa White led Niger Delta Youths Coalition Council on Transparency and Accountability, called on President Buhari to urgently investigate the allegations of corruption in the NDDC which he said is detrimental to the development of the Niger Delta region.

The group said Akpabio is a culprit, saying his hand-picked Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development NDDC, sent letters to staff of all cadre who are perceived to be opposed to the reckless and corrupt practice in award of contracts to proceed on mandatory leave and early retirement.

According to the group, “The move came just two days after a contract award letter exposing corruption in the award of contract to Signora Concept Services Limited and Osmoserve Global Limited were leaked to the public.

Also, the Global Forum for Accountability and Transparency, Nigeria had also petitioned President Buhari alleging that the forced leave was aimed at those who were opposed to Akpabio’s alleged moves in the NDDC.

“The staff that have been sent on compulsory leave were alleged to have leaked sensitive documents to the public and media. If we may ask, why hide transactions of a public institution if processes are transparently executed? Why afraid of leaks when tendering process in all MDA’s  are conducted in public and contracts award and payment for contracts executed are open,” the body said in a statement issued by its head of media and publicity, Joseph Tamara.

The body further alleged:

“There is palpable tension in the region as a result of the Akpabio middlesomeness in the affairs of the NDDC when in actual terms the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is as guilty as the NDDC. Since the inception of the MNDA there is no one major project that can be showcased as a legacy project in the region yet Mr. Akpabio keeps gallivanting all over NDDC.”

Various allegations of violation of the Public Procurements Act was cited by the group in the award of contract to complete the NDDC headquarters and unspecified medical supplies amongst several other allegations.

Also one Abiye Tolofari, in a write-up titled: “Why Buhari must stop Akpabio’s circus at the NDDC,” he argued against the setting up of the Interim Management Committee and the forensic auditing of the Commission.

Similar allegation was raised against the NDDC IMC and Akpabio by the Comr. Ozobo Austin led Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI.

IPDI said Akpabio is a clog in the wheel of progress in the region, because keeping him in the government indicts Buhari on his anti-graft crusade.

The group insisted that EFCC, ICPC and other anti-graft authorities should launch all-round probe to all the fake contracts awarded by Godswill Akpabio in a view to unravel culprits defrauding the commission with fake projects or contracts for self-aggrandizement.

Reacting to the allegations, Media Aide to Akpabio, Anietie Ekong said some people are sponsoring the smear campaign because of the forensic audit.

Ekong said the forensic audit will unravel secreta behind the about N2 trillion debt of the NDDC.

“It is the expectation of the Niger Delta people that the forensic audit as ordered by president Buhari will unravel what went wrong in NDDC and moving forward, how things could be done right.

“Check this out: in the almost 20 years after it was established, the NDDC has been operating from a rented headquarters building. The headquarters building started since the days of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), the progenitor of NDDC, has remained uncompleted while the Commission pays about N300 million as rent every year,” Ekong added.

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