NDDC palaver: Board reconstitution only solution

Controversy has raged non-stop since the nomination of a sixteen-man board for the Niger Delta Development Commission by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2019. Immediately the list was made public, Nigerians from the Niger Delta, particularly, Delta and Cross River took exception to the names put forward for their states and have continued to stridently demand their replacement.

This dissatisfaction with the constitution of the Board presumably explains why its members were only screened some three months after their nomination and are yet to resume work.

NDDC was set up to address germane development concerns in the Niger Delta region but as we know, it gradually morphed into a cash cow for those appointed to oversee its affairs. Becoming an NDDC Director or Commissioner came to mean instant wealth. Expectedly, this was unsustainable and the Commission’s core mandate of intervention and development has suffered greatly. It is this sorry state of affairs which spurred President Buhari to order the conduct of a forensic audit for the Commission –  a most welcome development.

As can be inferred from its mandate, which is to deliver development to the much blighted Niger Delta region, NDDC requires capable men with unquestionable integrity, nominated through a fair and inclusive process to steer its affairs. This brings us, full circle, back to the current nominees. Since Mr Maurice Effiwatt was surprisingly nominated in August to represent Cross River State, against the popular expectation of Cross Riverians, there has been a latent uneasiness in the state, with Cross Riverians trenchantly demanding his replacement.

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The points of conflict centre on the underhand means which saw his name entered for the President’s nomination without recourse to the usual tradition of general Party consultation to pick an eligible person for onward forwarding to the President. As a matter of fact, the irregular manner of Mr Effiwatt’s emergence is a major reason for the lingering internal crisis impeding the Cross River State chapter of his party, the All Progressives Congress.

Furthermore, Cross Riverians have legitimate concerns about Mr Maurice Effiwatt due to his relative inexperience regarding the unique developmental problems NDDC is mandated to tackle. Fears are that his perceived inexperience will gravely hinder him from efficiently representing Cross River State and its interests in the Commission, effectively shortchanging the State and her people for the entire tenure of the Board if Mr President does not step in to prevent this from happening.

Thankfully, Mr. President, the Board is yet to be inaugurated so it is still very possible to reverse Mr Effiwatt’s nomination and issue the directive for a competent Cross Riverian (with the requisite knowledge of NDDC’s internal workings) to be nominated to fill the position in accordance with your yearning reposition the Commission for better performance.

In line with the foregoing, Mr President, a reconstituted NDDC Board should be empowered to perform: accordingly, a new Board must be able to resume on a clean slate with no old baggage. This touches on the forensic audit you ordered and also on the Interim Management Committee set-up by your lieutenant, Chief Godswill Akpabio,  Honourable Minister of Niger Delta.

For a new Board to be able to hit the ground running, the Interim Management Committee will labour hard to clear the mess in NDDC by overseeing the forensic audit. The Committee’s work is cut out and it needs all the support it can get.  Although it has met with some opposition from quarters who feel that the Board should resume right away, it is imperative that the Interim Committee be allowed time to finish the arduous audit work it is saddled with.

The intentions of those who want to rush a new Board into the office without allowing the three-man Committee to complete the forensic audit you ordered are questionable. As you are already aware, the Interim Committee has your Rivers State NDDC nominee, Dr Joy Gbene Nunieh heading it, with two other Niger Deltans of impeccable character as members. Ordinarily, this is enough to satisfy those questioning its legitimacy. That they continue to quiz its legality despite that it is headed by a person duly nominated by you points to ulterior motives and calls for an investigation.

Finally, the forensic audit will reinvigorate the Niger Delta Development Commission and position it for creditable performance and Cross River State must not miss out on this unique opportunity by having an ineffectual hand on the Board. Therefore, it is crucial that you nominate a fresh representative for the State who will resume with the Board when it is inaugurated.

• Joe Odey, a former SA to the APC National Vice Chairman (South-South Zone) wrote from Garki, Abuja.

Twitter @JoeOdey