The Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering all Ministers in his administration who are seeking elective positions in next year’s general election to resign.
The NDYC particularly stated that with Chief Godswill Akpabio specifically out of the way now, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will breathe fresh air and experience a turn-around for good.
In a statement on Wednesday, the national Coordinator of NDYC Engr. Jator Abido expressed satisfaction with President Buhari’s orders, noting that it has helped to distinguish him as a man of honour who does not associate himself with lawlessness. “This singular act of Mr. President has brought about trust in his leadership and the anti-corruption fight.”
According to Abido, “we have particularly frowned at the delay in inaugurating the NDDC Board which was orchestrated by the then Minister of the Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio under the cover of a forensic audit to enrich himself. Now that he is out of the way, we are confident the Board will be inaugurated and development will return to the Niger Delta”, the statement noted.
While urging Mr. President to expedite actions on the inauguration of the NDDC Board to serve as a vehicle that will drive development in the Niger Delta region, the group equally urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to as a matter of urgency probe the Commission and the outgoing Minister of the Niger Delta as his tenure was marred by impunity and gross corruption.
NDYC’s position aligns with the legitimate demands of Niger Delta authentic stakeholders who have consistently urged President Muhammadu Buhari to comply with the law setting up NDDC, fulfil his own promise of June 24, 2021, and inaugurate the substantive board to manage the Commission for the benefit of the people of the nine Niger Delta states.
President Buhari had promised and made commitments to end the illegal Interim Management / sole administratorship at the NDDC and inaugurate the Board of the Commission upon receipt of the forensic audit, in compliance with the law, and which promise he made to the nation on June 24, 2021 when he received the leadership of Ijaw National Congress (INC) in Aso Rock, Abuja. The President said: ‘‘Based on the mismanagement that had previously bedeviled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021. I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board will be inaugurated.” However, the Forensic audit report has been submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari since September 2, 2021, but eight months after, the substantive Board is yet to be inaugurated. The group said situation currently in NDDC, which had subsisted for over two years, is that there is an illegal sole administrator who is both Managing Director, Executive Director of Finance, and Executive Director Projects, in clear breach of NDDC Act which ensures separation of these duties to ensure checks and balances. According to the group, presently, across the length and breadth of the Niger Delta region there are unending calls, demands and peaceful agitations of youths, men and women, political and traditional leaders and civil society organisations that the inauguration of the board of NDDC will ensure compliance with the NDDC Act, promote and sustain peace, ensure equitable representation of the nine constituent states, enthrone transparency, accountability, good governance and rapid development and transformation of the Niger Delta Region.
