The Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD) has described Monday’s announcement of the setting up of a steering committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a deliberate violation and desecration of the 2001 Act of the National Assembly establishing NDDC and threat to the nations’ democracy
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio had, on Monday, disclosed that the inaugurated three-man Steering Committee would take over the running and management of NDDC and oversee the appointment of Forensic Auditors and completion of the audit before the new board whose nominee’s list was handed to the Senate on Monday.
National President of the group, Comrade Igbini Odafe Emmanuel, in a statement made available to journalists in Delta on Tuesday, said the development was received with a rude shock and total disappointment.
The statement, laced with the tone of angst and palpable betrayal, reads thus:
“We wish to state unequivocally that we strongly and totally object to this fraudulent, unlawful and provocative action of the Minister because it is a deliberate violation and desecration of the 2001 Act of the National Assembly establishing NDDC and threat to the nations’ democracy.
“It must be noted that it was never contemplated and will never be contemplated that a so-called Steering Committee be constituted to run and manage the affairs of this very critical and important Agency of Government (NDDC) even when an Interim Management Board is in place and a new Statutory Board is very soon to be inaugurated.
“Now hiding under the cover of the proposed Forensic auditing of NDDC to act so lawlessly and unconstitutionally should not be allowed and must not stand.
“It has been stated and agreed by all of us who are critical Stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region that indeed there is a need to urgently sanitise the management of NDDC and also that of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, both of which have been enmeshed in years of massive looting and misappropriation of funds released to them.
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“It is also worthy of note that we, the people of the Niger Delta Region, have also been demanding for forensic auditing of the States of our Niger Delta Region over similar alleged monumental looting of funds released to the States which includes Akwa-Ibom State that Minister Akpabio was the immediate past Governor.
“This being the case, why then did Minister Akpabio not request that President Buhari withholds his Appointment and Inauguration as Minister until the appointment of Forensic Auditors and completion of similar Forensic auditing of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs?
“Why is Sen. Akpabio not more concerned about the abandoned dualization of East-West Road for which hundreds of billions of Naira was reportedly released to the Ministry but looted?
“Why is Akpabio more interested in hijacking the NDDC rather than concentrate on sanitising his Ministry and to very urgently deliver on the East-West Road which has become death trap and led to deaths of many people including a former interim Managing Director of NDDC and his son?
“More importantly, we want to remind Sen. Akpabio that the NDDC and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs are two independent Agencies of Government with distinct Responsibilities though complementary.
“We never demanded for Ministry of Niger Delta or any Ministry for that matter, to take over the control and management of NDDC, no matter what mismanagement may arise.
“Finally, we call on the Senate to speedily confirm the nominees of Board of NDDC with a clear directive to be immediately inaugurated and to halt this lawless action of Minister Akpabio.”
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