A civil defence movement, Niger Delta Progressive Network (NDPN), has joined numerous stakeholders to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to honour his words and inaugurate the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board which was examined and confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic. Nigeria on November 5, 2019.
Disclosing this in a statement signed by the National President, Kaniye Amakiri and National Secretary, Asuquo Inyang, on behalf of the group, they reminded Mr. President that on June 24, 2021, while receiving the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress ( INC), promised in very clear terms that it would inaugurate the already revised and confirmed NDDC board upon completion and receipt of the Forensic Auditors report.
Recall that the general body of the Ijaw nation, worldwide, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) also recently warned that “any further delay in the inauguration of the NDDC board is a clear betrayal of trust and callousness of the State in the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region. “
The INC’s call followed President Buhari’s promise on June 24, 2021, while he was hosting the Ijaw National Congress at the State House in Abuja, in which President Buhari said that the NDDC Board would be inaugurated as soon as the forensic audit report was submitted. and accepted.
The president said: “ Based on the mismanagement that had previously affected the NDDC, a forensic audit was established and the result is expected by the end of July 2021. I want to assure you that as soon as the report of the forensic audit is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board will be inaugurated. “
The group reminded President Buhari that the Federal Government also reiterated its position to inaugurate the Board confirmed by the Senate immediately after the conclusion of the forensic audit during the inaugural ceremony of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC in 2019.
Therefore, Niger Delta Progressive Network urged Chairman Buhari to fulfil this promise and inaugurate the board without further delay, now that the Forensic Audit has concluded and thereby to shame those who doubt his sincerity and commitment to keep his words. .
Said the group: “Finally, we wish to remind the President that with the receipt of the forensic audit report, the inauguration of the board will mark a new beginning not only for the commission but also for the people of the Niger Delta.”
The NDPN also stated that it aligned its members with the calls, demands and peaceful agitations of youth, men and women, political and traditional leaders and civil society organisations in the Niger Delta that the inauguration of the NDDC Board will promote and will maintain peace, fairness and justice, transparency and accountability, good governance and rapid development and transformation of the Niger Delta region, and defuse the tension of militancy and reduce the threat of insecurity in the region.
The NDPN noted that while the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) had been allowed to function with its duly constituted Board in place in accordance with its NEDC Act, thus ensuring adequate corporate governance, accountability, checks and balances, and representation fair of its constituent states, the NDDC, on the other hand, has been arbitrarily administered in the last 2 years by interim committees / sole administrator in violation of the NDDC Act even after President Buhari had appointed a Board for the NDDC that was duly confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on November 5, 2019, but was asked to stand by for inauguration after forensic audit.
Therefore, the group urged the president to now comply with the NDDC Act and fulfil his promise by inaugurating the Commission’s Governing Board to ensure accountability, checks and balances, probity, and equitable representation of the nine constituent states. from the Niger Delta region.