Release N1.8trn NDDC Fund Now

The new Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) recently challenged the Presidency and the National Assembly to urgently come to the interventionist agency’s aid by defraying the Federal Government’s indebtedness to the commission.
The Federal Government is allegedly owing a whopping N1.8 trillion statutory allocations and ecological funds due the commission between 2000 and 2015.
The board took the initiative to throw the challenge to the Presidency and the National Assembly, following its discovery that the main reason why the commission has continuously failed to meet its mandate to the Niger Delta people is principally due to the failure of both arms of government to respect the rule of law in the implementation of Section 14 (2) (a) and (c) of the NDDC Act since inception in 2000.
Explaining the commission’s predicament before the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Managing Director, NDDC, Nsima Ekere, informed the senators that having taken stock of its assets and liabilities, in respect to all abandoned and on-going projects, as well as new ones designed to meet the yearnings of the people of the region, including N1.3trillion indebtedness to various contractors already handling 8, 000 projects across nine catchment states, it became compelling that the only way to move forward is for the Federal Government to urgently release the N1.8trillion unpaid statutory allocations and Ecological Fund proceeds between 2000 and 2015. He specifically told the committee that out of the sum, N1,797,713,966,6652.29 is unpaid statutory allocations while N45,091,075,401.66 is unpaid remittances from the Ecological Fund.
Indeed, The Tide frowns at the failure of the Federal Government to fully comply with the provisions of Section 14 (2) (a) and (c) of the NDDC Act which make it mandatory for the Federal Government to pay its own counterpart funds to the NDDC. The Federal Government’s complacency is even more appalling in view of its bogus promises to pay priority attention to the yawning infrastructure deficit and ensure the sustainable development of the Niger Delta as a precursor to the peace, economic growth and overall development of the country.
It is painful that despite the fact that the National Assembly has in the last 17 years, appropriated approximately N2.4trillion to fund the commission’s financial obligations, the Federal Government is in default of a whopping N1.8trillion, thus leaving the commission with an abysmal sum of approximately N592billion, representing a mere 22 per cent of total budget of the commission and three per cent remittance from annual budgets of oil and gas companies, to meet its obligations to the people of the Niger Delta.
We are particularly appalled by the insensitivity of successive administrations in the country to the plight of the Niger Delta region. This is why we believe that the demand made by the new board and management of the commission is apposite, to help redress the crass injustice meted out to the people of the region over the years.
The Tide, therefore, joins other stakeholders in the Niger Delta, especially Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil and Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON), Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), NDDC Contractors Association of Nigeria, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs), to demand immediate release of N1.8 trillion owed the NDDC by the Federal Government, to enable the commission assist state and local governments in the nine catchment states accelerate the development process of the region.
We make this support because we are convinced that the expenditure of N1.8trillion on strategic infrastructural projects would create jobs for millions of youth, reduce violent crimes and restore peace, and boost the sustainable development of the region.
However, while we await Federal Government’s quick release of the funds, we charge the new leadership of the commission to extricate itself from the corrupt practices of the past boards and managements, by ensuring utmost adherence to the core principles of accountability and transparency in the deployment of public funds.
We also warn that the new board and management should not see themselves as an extension of the ruling party, by ensuring that the funds meant for development purposes are not used for political patronage. We charge the Ekere-led management and Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba-led board to initiate projects and programmes that would have lasting positive impacts on the lives of the people.
To achieve this, therefore, The Tide insists that the new leadership of the commission must, as a matter of deliberate policy, partner with the respective state and local governments in the delivery of sustainable development projects and programmes in line with its mandate. This is our take!