Reps wade into lingering management crisis rocking NDDC

The House of Representatives on Wednesday waded into the lingering management crisis rocking the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Consequently, the  House at Plenary mandated the Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), being Chaired by Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to look into the legality or otherwise surrounding the Management crisis in the Commission and report back within one week for further legislative action.

This followed the adoption of a  motion moved by Hon. Ossai  Nicholas Ossai under Public importance titled, “Urgent Need to stop the illegality in the Niger Delta Development Commission”

While ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided over the plenary stated there was  the need for Committee on the NDDC to investigate the matter thoroughly and guide the House accordingly since the only available information the crisis was from Media reports and more so that the Senate had confirmed the nominees  for the Board.

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In the motion, Hon Ossai said that the law establishing the commission provides that its management and administration shall be the responsibility of its Governing Board.

He said that on October 29, 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the appointment of 15 new NDDC Board Members, whose names were thereafter sent to the Senate for confirmation.

According to him, in the evening that same day, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, announced the sacking of the Acting Managing Director of NDDC and the appointment of a three-man NDDC Interim Management Committee.

“The speed and curiosity with which the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs hurriedly set up a three-man Interim Management Committee are stunning and suspicious,” he said.

In a swift reaction to the mandate, the  House  Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has promised to conduct a thorough investigation into the sack of acting Managing Director of NDDC.

The Chairman of the committee Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo  gave the assurance in an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Abuja immediately after the plenary.

He said that in line with the mandate given to the committee by the house, the appointment of a three-man NDDC Interim Management Committee would be thoroughly probed.

According to him, “the investigation will be all-encompassing, we are going to be fair to all, we are going to look at all the laws, you can be sure that at the end of the day, our recommendations will be based on the rule of law for the benefit of the people

“We want to have a commission that will provide good roads, a commission that will bring succour to the lives of the people of the Niger Delta and take them to the next level”.

Hon Tunji-Ojo said that the outcome of the investigation would bring an end to the brouhaha surrounding the appointment.

The lawmaker said that the House wanted to ensure that the laws were followed and that the investigation would reveal that.

He said that if the government had erred, the committee would be courageous enough to report on the floor of the house.

According to him, “We owe the Niger Delta people a truthful investigation, we owe them uprightness, we owe them an investigation that will lead to the fulfilment of the mandate of the commission”.

Hon Tunji-Ojo said that he was not impressed by the way the commission was being operated at the moment.

According to him,” this November 2019 and we do not have a budget for 2019, it is an aberration; it shows lawlessness on the part of the organisation”.

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari had represented the 2020 budget to the assembly but the NDDC was yet to present the 2019 budget.

The chairman said that he was out to ensure thy the commission works for Nigeria, for the oil-rich region and for the society at large.

According to him, “In four years time, we will leave a commission that the rule of law will reign supreme in all areas of operations

“When this is done, the development will come, transparency will come and accountability will follow

“But when procurement and finical regulation are not obeyed, you will get what you have now; it is sad, NDDC is not the only intervention commission in the country but it is always in the news for the wrong reasons.”