…Says Political Interference Stifling NDDC
By Ovie Okpare
National Coordinator, South South Reawakening Group (SSRG), Comrade Joseph Ambakederimo, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to end under his reign the overbearing political interference in the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Ambakederimo also charged President Tinubu to allow the current board of the NDDC with Chief Samuel Ogbuku as Managing Director to serve their tenure to an end.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday at a media chat to commemorate his 62nd birthday anniversary in Effurun, Delta State, Ambakederimo asked the federal government to increase its 15 percent funding to the interventionist agency to 25 percent.
He, however, stated that though the commission has been riddled with corruption in the past, the agency has made tremendous contributions to the socio-economic development of the region.
The activist maintained that the continued political interference in the affairs of the commission by successive governments have stifled efforts by NDDC to make meaningful development in the oil-rich region.
“The forensic audit of the operations of the NDDC initiated by the former Minister of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, apart from whatever gains it recorded, succeeded primarily in erasing any form of citizen’s confidence in the commission.
“The verdict of the forensic audit was more likely to be a recommendation for the scrapping of the commission for gross failure. Now the reality in the Niger Delta region, in the creeks and swamps, is a general feeling of apathy and the indifference to the workings and vision of the NDDC.
“The commission can only win if it has the buy-in and support of the people if they collectively take ownership of the commission and join hands to achieve the Niger Delta of our dream.
“Granted that years of mismanagement and massive misappropriation and diversion of the NDDC funds have eroded citizen’s interest in the affairs of the commission, it will also be beneficial to point out that the NDDC as an interventionist agency is not a complete failure as projected”, Ambakederimo added.
Recommending how the administration of President Tinubu could change the narrative, he noted that the law establishing the commission should be strictly followed in the appointment of its leadership and funding.
According to him, “Political interference should be curtailed to stem the high turnover of appointment of the members of the board of management. If this is not discouraged, then at what point do we now hold people to account.
“Therefore, it is my considered opinion that this present management team is allowed to continue to hold sway so that we can begin to hold them to account. Anything short of this becomes counterproductive to the development of the oil producing areas.
“At this point, President Bola Tinubu is urged to stay the course on this matter of allowing this management team headed by Dr. Samuel Ogbuku to continue to complete its tenure and only appoint the Board to complement the efforts of the management team.
“The fifteen percent contribution from the Federal government has become inadequate therefore we are calling on the President to immediately send an executive bill for the amendment of relevant sections of the NDDC establishment Act to increase its share of contribution to 25%.
“The 3% contribution from the oil and gas companies increased to 10%.
“Ecological fund should be increased to 70%
“An appreciable percentage of gas flare charge should be paid to the NDDC.
“NDDC should be considered to benefit from the recent and future windfall of revenue shared to various entities by the Federal government.
“We call for all of these recommendations because it is the NDDC that reaches the remotest communities that produce oil and gas that fuels the Nigerian economy. These communities bear the brunt of ecological devastation therefore more funds should be ceded to the NDDC to continue to provide infrastructure and a better life to the inhabitants of these communities”, he stated.
While thanking God for preserving his life at 62nd, Ambakederimo stated that he will continue to work for the betterment and prosperity of the people of Niger Delta region and Nigeria.
He called on Nigerians to remain steadfast while charging governments at all levels to discharge good governance to the people.
