Niger Delta Leaders Faulted Over Silence On NDDC Probe

By Ayodele Oluwafemi

The silence of some key stakeholders in the Niger Delta like Mujahid Dokobo-Asari, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, Edwin Clark, ND Avengers among others over the corruption scandal rocking the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has not gone done well with social media critics.

The interventionist agency has been in the news in recent times over oozy allegations of corruption.

The sum of N81.5 billion was allegedly mismanaged between the period of January to May 2019.

This has led to the National Assembly probe of the financial accounts of the commission, leading to accusations,  counter accusations, and drama from Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Joi Nuineh, former managing director of NDDC and other NDDC officials.

Amid the drama that has trailed the National Assembly probe of NDDC, several arguments have been raised by social critics on the issues affecting the NDDC and the oil rich communities.

One of such arguments is that vocal stakeholders in the South South region like Mujahid Dokobo-Asari, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, Edwin Clark, ND Avengers among others have remained silent, despite overt evidences that the resources meant for the region were mishandled by few people.

Some social critics argued that the public display of corruption allegations in the NDDC is a pointer to the problem of the South South region as self-inflicted.

Nearly all of those who have been in the news over the scandal are people from the South South region, depicting that the monies meant for development of the region were perhaps embezzled and misappropriated by those from the region in the helm of affairs.

@Shehusani tweeted: “NDDC was created to solve the problems of Niger Delta, it has become the Problem of Niger Delta.”

@Nedunaija tweeted: “Have we heard anything from the Niger Delta leaders (e.g. elders, yoots, women activists, repentant militants, social equality advocates, etc etc) concerning these earthshaking revelations of decades-old looting in the NDDC?”

Some social critics also argued that for the South South region to move forward, the people of the region must dissuade themselves from the ‘na-our-person’ syndrome in addressing the issue of corruption prevalent in the region.

@Samovanbasten tweeted: “Now the Niger-Deltans know who their real enemies are. Their enemies obviously are not the Nigerian state but of course their brethren from the same region. I should expect they youths should carry placards by now and demand for the removal and incarceration of these people.”

@Olayemi_123 tweeted: “NDDC is running by sons and daughters of the Niger Delta. No Fulani has ever held it, No Hausa has ever held it, No Yoruba has ever held it and No Muslim has ever held it. Niger Delta leaders are the one stealing billions of dollars meant for their own people.”

GWG gathered the following tweets:

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