June 27, (THEWILL) – Ultimatum appears to be the code in the language of conversation between the Federal Government and stakeholders in the Niger Delta over the future fate of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
A few days after the government yielded to the 30-day ultimatum given by youths in the region and promised to form the Governing Board of the commission, the elders have taken their turn to issue a seven-day ultimatum on the government. This time, their grouse is about who should be appointed into the board.
Although it received another threat and a request from militant Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, to get the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to agree to a new board for the NDDC, after the earlier threat by the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) expired last month, the determination of the elders to join the fray has made matters worse, pending Akpabio’s promise to deliver in July.
On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, Akpabio disclosed how his July promise will come to pass. Towing the same line of thinking with the region’s elders, who had earlier indicted the NDDC for promoting the interests of its staff rather than that of the communities in the region, the minister promised to expedite action on the government- directed forensic audit of the commission before the constitution of the governing board in July.
“I think they were pursuing projects that were probably beneficial to either the staff or the management and not necessarily things that benefited the region, “Akpabio said while fielding questions from State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.
According to the minister, President Muhammadu Buhari will receive the final report of a forensic audit of NDDC by the end of July this year.
Akpabio, however, dodged the vexing issue dealing with the names of nominees for the board, which he said would be anounced soon.
He said, “We have fast-tracked the process of constituting the board, but we insist that the most important thing is not just the development of the Niger Delta region but how to reposition NDDC to ensure optimal performance as against the practice in the past.
“In terms of the composition of the board of the NDDC, we have fast-tracked the process and the National Assembly will soon get the list. But that is not as important as the forensic audit, which we have finally given a deadline, which is July, that it will end.”
In a letter addressed to President Buhari, chiefs from the Niger Delta think there is already a list that had been cleared by the National Assembly and urged him to abide by the Act of the NDDC and the new clauses in the amended Act, which, “gives the President the right to nominate and approve appointments into the board of the Commission.”
According to Chief Nengi Eroworo, one of the signatories to the mentioned letter, “If the law was set aside in doing the right thing, we are afraid the minister is playing politics with the issue.”
Speaking further, Eroworo said,” I am saying the NDDC is for development, not politicking. Akpabio promised that after the forensic audit is completed, the nominees for the governing board, who had been screened by the Senate in 2019 will be sworn in. That is not what is going on at present. The current Interim Management Council are his stooges. That is why he has been going about appeasing some stakeholders.”
With the forensic audit almost getting out of the way after two postponements following the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the appointment of a lead consultant for it in February, 2020, the issue surrounding the membership of the board has taken centre stage and threatening to scuttle efforts to get the Commission of a sure footing.
On this, even the stakeholders are disunited. A prominent businesswoman from the region, Rita Lori Ogbebor, and some lawyers engaged in a hot exchange of missive recently. While she urged the government to approve a new board, stating that the one cleared by the state before the government convened the forensic audit was dropped for non-compliance with the NDDC Act, she said through her spokesman, B.J Akomolafe, the board cleared by the Senate in 2091 was dissolved upon constitution of the IMC.
But Apkoebide Akotiene, President and Edet Ekpenyong, Secretary of the Niger Delta Integrity Group, disagreed sharply with Ogbebor. They said she was misrepresenting facts “that are intended to fraudulently interfere with the legitimately process of governance.”
They said, “What happened in the case of the board is that after the nominees were screened and confirmed by the Senate on November 5, 2019, the President asked that the inauguration of the board be put on hold, pending the completion of the forensic audit. The Federal Government announced during the inauguration of the IMC that the Senate-confirmed NDDC board will be inaugurated after the forensic audit.
It would be recalled that President Buhari on October 28, 2019 sent the NDDC’s board nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation. According to President of the Senate, who read the letter during plenary the NDDC’s Board nominees included the Chairman, Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo); Managing Director, Bernard O. Okumagba (Delta); Executive Director Projects, Engr. Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom); Executive Director Finance and Admin, Maxwell Okoh (Bayelsa); Delta State representative, Prophet Jones Erue; Chief Victor Ekhatar (Edo); Dr. Joy Yimebe Nunieh (Rivers); and Nwogu Nwogu (Abia).
Others were Theodore A. Allison (Bayelsa); Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River); Olugbenga Elema (Ondo); Hon. Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian (Imo); Northwest Rep, Aisha Murtala Muhammed (Kano); Northeast Rep, Ardo Zubairu (Adamawa) and Southwest Rep, Engr. Badmus Mutalib (Lagos).
Investigation by THEWILL shows that the current crisis involves a conflict of interest as many interested parties are positioning themselves to get a slice of the cake by getting appointees into the board. And many of those who are interested, ranging from senior lawmakers to ministers and traditional rulers, are ready to subvert the objectives of the Commission.
In 2019, during the clearance of the board, Akpabio, Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipreye Silva and former National Chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, were embroiled in a three-pronged war to get the President’s ears for their nominees into the NDDC board.
When it appeared the duo of Silva and Oshiomole were getting the upper hand, the idea of forensic audit and IMC were quickly conjured up by Akpabio to maintain control and buy time. With Oshiomhole long out of the way and Silva sidelined by work and time lag, which had made him to feather his nest elsewhere, Akpabio has everything under control. After the sacking of the Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei- led IMC, indicted for misappropriating over N8 billion by the NASS joint committee, Akpabio got his protégé appointed as Sole Administrator of the IMC, Eng. Effiong Okon Akwa.
“Effiong is Akpabio’s stooge and the minister wants to control nomination into the board. That is why he is saying he wants to present another list to the Senate.” Chief Eroworo alleged, vowing, “We will not allow it”.
Already President Buhari has heeded the decision of the South south governors mostly affected by the commission’s operations to withhold further subvention until a proper board is constituted.
What will happen after the expiration of the elder’s ultimatum?
Eroworo answers, “You will hear what will happen. You do not expect me or our leader, Chief E. K Clark to make that announcement public. What I can say for now is that the relative peace being enjoyed in the Niger Delta over this issue is possible because of the cooperation of Governor Diri of Bayelsa State, Ateke Tom, Chief E.K Clark and Tompolo, all key players in the Niger Delta, which involve shadow leaders and stakeholders.”
There is a lingering crisis in the Niger Delta, no doubt, over many issues dealing with the effectiveness of the NDCC and the way forward, but the hopeful thing is that the aggrieved parties have a deal in July when all pending issues will be resolved. Hopefully.
About the Author
Amos Esele is the Deputy Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
