I Am Still Minister Cos Of Buhari’s Skill In Governance – Akpabio

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has said the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, cannot justify the over N15 trillion allocation in the last 19 years.

The Minister spoke in Abuja while receiving officials of the Rivers State chapter of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN on Thursday during which he said that he would have been removed from office if President Muhammadu Buhari were not an experienced man in government.

He called for a holistic probe of NDDC to unearth the malaise in the agency, saying that selective probes would not address the problem of commission.

According to him, “In the quest to reposition the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and bring development and succor to the Niger Delta region, you will never walk alone. That is what I think of NDDC. And I am very excited about it.

“Things have started so fast that I have started wondering that is it that the voices have been drawn? Is it that the voices of the masses are wearing now? Is it because of the mask we are wearing now? Nigerians and Niger Deltans can no longer talk? Or is it that I am a mad man, who has seen the reason to move the region forward. Is it that people are not aware that NDDC for instance has existed for the past 20 years?

“Why can’t people ask questions? How come it is only now that the noise is louder? How come it is only now that even our parliament has found it necessary to conduct a selective probe of NDDC? Instead of beginning from the inception, the year 2001, they are now doing five months probe out of almost 20 years of existence.

“Why? NDDC has been in existence since 1999. What is really happening now? How is it all petitions on earth are happening? The answer lies in the wing.  When the wind blows, it blows along with the answer.

“But I had an interview with Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and that was sometime in October /November 2019.  Shortly after Mr. President ordered Forensic Audit of NDDC, I was on NTA and I pointed out that as soon as this forensic audit commences, that hell would be let loose.

“I will be very glad to pass this message to Mr. President, because, if he was not a strong man and his experience in government, it would have been easier for the noise of dissent to drive the truth, he would have said, the Interim Management Committee is hereby dissolved and the minister is hereby removed from the office.”

He said those against the forensic probe are unrelenting “That you hardly open a newspaper and you don’t see screaming headline.

“And all they are talking now is corruption in five months. Not corruption in 19 tears and 7 months. Those ones were period of bliss and period of success in the NDDC.”

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