…petitions NASS leadership
…NDDC a massive flop – Rep. Chinda
An Abuja based Civil Society organization, Act for Positive Transformation Initiatives has raised alarm over ‘plot by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio to appoint a sole administrator for the running of the controversial Niger Development Commission (NDDC).
The group in a letter dated December 4, 2020 and addressed to the presidency, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, as well as the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, stressed the urgent need to stop Sen. Akpobio from finally drowning the NDDC through the illegal appointment of a sole administration.
The letter signed by its Head, Directorate of Research, Strategy & Planning, Kolawole Johnson, and entitled: ‘Sen Godswill Akpabio Must be Stopped from Sinking the Niger Delta Development Commission Further’, the CSO reads:
“There is an urgent need to alert the government, the National Assembly and the general public on the latest sinister plot of the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Sen Godswill Akpabio, to plunge the Niger Delta Development Commission into another round of crisis for his selfish interest by appointing a sole administrator to run the commission against the laws setting up the interventionist agency.
“Reports of a certain court order ‘sacking’ the present Interim Management Committee members of the NDDC surfaced in the media on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020. It is curious to note that the said order ‘restraining the IMC members from performing the functions of the board’ of NDDC was given on the 27th day of October, 2020 but kept under wraps for over one month, only to be let out few days to the next hearing date.
“While motives remain a source of concern, ACT has, again, stumbled on a sinister plan by Senator Godswill Akpabio to surreptitiously bring in the present Acting Executive Director of Finance, Effiong Akwa, as a Sole Administrator of the Commission using the suspicious judgement to pave way.
“If allowed, this singular step shall sink the Commission further and ruin the chances of rewriting the dark history of the Commission under the embattled minister whose only achievement thus far has been corruption and more corruption.
“This is against the law. Over 187 Billion Naira has so far been squandered under the Minister without anything to show for it. In an unprecedented manner, monies are moved out of the coffers of the commission for non-existing jobs, contract scams etc”.
It pointed out that Effiong, the Ag. Executive Director of Finance, was appointed in August in a controversial circumstance.
“He was a Personal Assistant on Finance matters to a former MD of the Commission between 2013 and 2015, a period that was reportedly characterized by a mindless looting of resources of the Commission.
“The Managing Director in question, Bassey Dan-Abia, a former Commissioner in Akpabio’s cabinet in Akwa Ibom state was nominated by same Godswill Akpabio to head the Commission. His tenure was heavily tainted with allegations of corruption.
“That has become the hallmark of Senator Godswill Akpabio wherever he goes directly or indirectly. Another Akwa-Ibom man, Nsima U. Ekere, was also sworn-in as a substantive Managing Director few months after,” the group noted.
The group recalled that, “the first memo written by Akpabio few hours after resumption of office as a Minister was for the take-over of the NDDC, directly demanding the powers of the President against the position of the law. Nevertheless, he had his way. It will be unthinkable to allow him hoodwink the nation into another round of his circus to further his impunity against the law setting up the NDDC. The only way forward is the immediate constitution of a substantive board answerable to the President and the people, not some Akpabio’s puppets turn personal stealing machine.”
“We call on the President to reject any maneuvering for the extension of the tenure of the present corrupt management or any attempt by the Minister to bring in a Sole Administrator. It is not known to law.
“There is no other better time for the National Assembly to rise in defense of its functions and our laws, the tax payers look forward to this institution for hope, if any”.
House of Reps’ members from the Zone including the chairman, House Committee on NDDC, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (APC, Ondo), contacted for comments did not immediately respond to messages sent to their mobile lines by this reporter.
However, the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Caucus in the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (Rivers) said the interim management committee (IMC), as contrapted by the APC led federal government, was not known to law, and that its actions were voidable, just as he described the NDDC as “a huge dissapointment.”
“Very early, I stated that the IMC was unknown to law & all their actions are voidable. I won’t speak on a report that is yet to be laid. NDDC is huge disappointment,” Chinda said via a text message.