Group Calls Out Senate Over New Probe Of NDDC Budget

The South-South Reawakening Group, SSRG has accused the Senate of grandstanding over the issue of the budgets of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, saying that the legislative body deliberately slept on its right to interrogate the finances of the agency in the past because of the involvement of its key members.

The SSRG in a statement made available to GWG.ng averred that the decision of the Senate to probe the NDDC over past expenditures was superfluous given the fact that the same Senate had only few years ago probed the NDDC without coming out with a report.

Alleging that the Senate was again up to some mischief, the SSRG charged the Senate to come out with the report of the past investigations before coming out with another probe.

The statement issued by Joseph Ambakederimo, Convener of the SSRG said the plan by the 9^th Senate to begin another investigation when its life was about coming to an end could be nothing more than mischief as it charged the body to immediately address the 2023 budget so the new board could go to action.

The statement read thus:

NDDC BUDGET SAGA:  NATIONAL  ASSEMBLY COMPLICIT IN N1. 4 TRIILLION NAIRA HEIST

1. The Senators calling to stand down the NDDC budget do not mean well for the region. The interest they perceived to show in the affairs of the NDDC will be taken with a pinch of salt. Their antics is to hoodwink the public into believing they are altruistic in the first place.

2. However we are not against the idea of calling for accountability and probity, we respect the Senate’s constitutional right to carry out oversight as they wish, what we are saying is do not throw away the baby with the bath water. We support beaming the searchlight on year 2021 and 2022  budgets, call out the managers of the years budget in view while the 2023 budget should be passed in order for this newly constituted Board to implement provisions of the budget to meet the aspiration of the people of the region. The Senate should without delay pass the 2023 budget without further delay.

 3. What the Senate is doing is to inadventantly tie the hands of the board of the NDDC and deny the commission of the much needed resources to execute projects that will impact the lives of the people of the region going forward. The people of the region shouldn’t be the ones to suffer deprivation of the much needed infrastructure that will make life better for them.

SSRG Demands Release of FG’s Debts To NDDC

  4. There are much more important things the National Assembly should do at this time one of which is to ensure all monies owed the NDDC by the Federal government be released before the expiration of this administration in order for the commission to adequately fund major infrastructure projects in the region such as building and equiping of hospitals, establishment of industrial Free Zones to cater for Small and Medium scale businesses, hinterland roads to aid the evacuation of farm produce and many more.

  5. We urge the Senate to stop this misinformation strategy and focus on the passage of the 2023 budget rather than engage in subtle blackmail to arm twist the leadership of the commission to submission. The region is crying for development we expect the National Assembly to support the substantive board to find more money for the NDDC to be able to deliver on it’s core mandate to bring succour to the people of the Niger Delta region.

 6. If we may ask where were they when those who superintended over the affairs of the NDDC in 2021 and 2022 were busy spending unbudgeted funds. For a fact many of these Senators who are up in arms today were beneficiaries of some of these fathom projects that are embedded in the years budget in view. The records are there so let us not open the can of worms that may turn out to become an albatross hanging over the neck of everyone.

SSRG Demands Outcome of Past Senate Probe of NDDC

 7. This same Senate investigated the  NDDC in 2021 and 2022 with so much fanfare and today we are being told that the NDDC is under investigation again. If we may ask what has come out of the countless investigations so far and If we may recall some Senators were called to question in those investigations.

 8. For us these investigations have become a circus show with people not taking the National Assembly serious anymore. It is not healthy for us as a nation if we must hold people to account but so far all investigations carried out by the National Assembly is a charade and often seen by the public as a means to settle scores and armtwist heads of MDA’s of government to part with monies.

 9. Most probably  there could have been carried over critical projects that were not implemented in the previous budgets to the 2023 budget for clear purposes of funding and implementation. This must have been the case for the presentation of the three consecutive years..

 10. The Senate must also be held to account for dereliction of duty. For us the Senate has been deliberately sleeping on duty because many of them were partakers in the rot in the NDDC in the past and all of this grandstanding is geared towards keeping their hands perpetually in the affairs of the commission. Have they suddenly waken up to their responsibility? They have a greater share of blame on issues affecting the NDDC today…

 11. Therefore we urge the Senate to support the NDDC by passing the 2023 budget as soon as practicable in order for the board to begin  implementation in earnest.

Joseph Ambakederimo,

Convener South South Reawakening Group.

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