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NDDC Lacks Integrity, Commitment To N’Delta – Orubebe

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Minister of Niger Delta, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has accused the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) of lack of integrity and interest in the development of the N’Delta region. Elder Orubebe called on the Senate committee on Niger Delta to take a critical look at the activities of his ministry and the NDDC, specifically on the coastal roads project and ascertain which of them was standing on the way of development in the oil-rich region.

He also urged the Senate to ensure that those found guilty of stalling the development of the region were punished.

He admitted that while he was Minister of State for the Niger Delta, he had a wind of the contract being awarded by NDDC but heard or saw nothing being effectively done on the project over a long time after NDDC had complained of lack of funds to continue with the job.

The minister said he took the case to federal executive council only for NDDC to come up with the claim that they had done over 80% of the survey and design work allocated to them in the 2010 Budget.

Orubebe said his surprise was more on the 80% claim by NDDC when in August they had claimed to have done only about 15%.

The Minister also told the Committee at the interactive session that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) awarded the contract for the East-West Road project without going through due process and without timeline or clear total cost.

However, the NDDC through its Project Director, insisted that the claim of 80 percent completion was true, adding that their intention at the time when the award letter was issued to the consultants in 2008 was to design the road and hand it over to the Niger Delta Ministry. The construction, he added would cost about N1trillion and it is way beyond NDDC.

He also told the committee that there was no agreed cost for the project because of the terrain.

Apparently trying to bring down tension, the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Engr. Emeka Eze, explained to the Senators, that there seems to be an administrative gap in the process.

Meanwhile, Senator George Sekibo (Rivers South-East) has called on the Ministry of Niger Delta and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) currently on the war path over the award of the survey and design of the East-West Coastal Roads to sheathe their swords, come to terms and work together if they are really being motivated by the zeal to develop the Niger Delta region effectively.

 

Nneka Amaechi- Nnadi, Abuja

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Why Wike Is Playing God In Rivers -Asari Dokubo

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A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has claimed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is “playing god” in the current political crisis that has pitched him against the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Dokubo also chided President Bola Tinubu for, according to him, handing over “Rivers and Bayelsa” to the ex-governor.
“He is now playing god. It is dead on arrival, all those things that he is doing,” Dokubo said in a video that surfaced on X.com on Monday.
He added, “I advise my friend, President Bola Tinubu; what you are doing to all Ijaw, Ikwerre people in Rivers State (sic). You took Rivers state and gave it one man”
In April, Fubara revealed that the administration has raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from N12 billion which he met upon assumption of office to N27 billion.
Dokubo described the development as commendable while alleging that the governor only had access to N6 billion when he assumed office.
“The governor had come out to say that the IGR for Rivers State is now N27bn up from N12bn. The governor is even being economical with the truth. When the governor came in, they were giving him a paltry sum of N6bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, in another twist to the ongoing crisis, Fubara on Monday said that he would set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
He disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticized recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
He stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”

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Investors, Tourists To Get Visa Within 48 Hours, FG Assures

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The Federal Executive Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a tripartite committee to streamline visa processes and acquisition for investors interested in investing in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this, yesterday, after the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our visa processes are becoming cumbersome. The ease of doing business is also tied to our visa processes.
“Going forward, those investors, tourists would find it easy to acquire a visa within the next 48 hours,” Idris said.
The meeting which began on Monday was adjourned till Tuesday to allow for other “far-reaching” decisions, the information minister had told journalists.

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Panel To Probe Governance In Rivers Underway -Fubara …Swears In Iboroma As New Attorney-General

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Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his readiness to set up a panel of inquiry to look into the affairs of governance in the state.
Fubara disclosed this during the swearing-in and administration of the oath of office on Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as the new Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice.
The governor criticised recent comments by the former Attorney-General of the State and Justice Commissioner, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, who resigned from his cabinet over a fortnight ago and urged the new Attorney-General to defend the state.
Fubara stated, “It is not the one that while you were here… the only thing you do is to sabotage the government.
“Instead of you to close your mouth, you publicly claim that you’re a learned person to tell people that you’re the Chief Law Officer. Chief Law Officer, you were here and went to stand before a Magistrate Court.
“At that time you didn’t remember that you’re a Chief Law Officer going against the ethics of your job.”
Addressing the new AG, the governor said, “You have a big task. As it is today in the local parlance, they say the jungle has matured. We will be setting a panel of inquiry to investigate the affair of governance.”
The governor further said there was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his administration, saying, “If we disagree, no matter how bad it is, it should be resolved.
“But it has become very clear that this disagreement there is no headway to it, and for many reasons, there is very visible evidence that there is sabotage, a deliberate attempt to sabotage this administration.
“Maybe where they are they are telling them nothing will happen, it is happening here live, we have our own legislators that are performing their duties according to the Constitution. So that record is threatened.”

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