News
Dissolve NDDC Board, CSOs Tell Buhari
A coalition of six Civil Society Organizations CSOs led by Guardians of Democracy and Development has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to dissolve the recently screened board of the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to allow for an unfettered forensic audit of the board under the supervision of the Interim Management Committee IMC.
Convener of the Coalition, Comrade Solomon Adodo equally asked the Senate to invalidate the screening of the NDDC Board conducted by its Committee on NDDC, saying one of the lawmakers (name withheld) is an interested party who nursed strong bias to protect his interests.
The CSOs noted that since the establishment of the NDDC only very little has been achieved even as it was for several years “converted into a cash cow for a few unpatriotic elites of the region at the detriment of the collective interest of the people of the Niger Delta region. Thus, the good intentions of the government were deliberately sabotaged and truncated by this thieving band who saw nothing else beyond self.
“We humbly call on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately dissolve the recently screened NDDC Board nominees to allow for the unfettered forensic audit of NDDC under the watch of the Interim Management Committee”, the CSOs urged.
Speaking further, the coalition said; “It is on this note that we herein fervidly convey our total gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for directing a thorough forensic audit of the financial accruals and expenditure of the Niger Delta Development Commission since inception. This is about the biggest singular blow being dealt with the monster of corruption by the current government on account of the fact that trillions of naira have been misappropriated or stolen from the NDDC. The bold step by the Minister of Niger Delta – Sen. Godswill Akpabio in an interim management committee to oversee the forensic audit is very welcome and deserving of the support of all Niger Deltans and Nigerians in entirety. The concerted efforts of the looters and culprits to frustrate the Minister and the Interim Management Committee must be met with stiff resistance by all Nigerians of goodwill.
“For the records, a lot of fraudulent acts of financial graft have been unearthed. Incontrovertible facts show that some Senators from the Niger Delta region have held the NDDC by the jugular and consistently bled the Commission. Particularly, a Senate Committee Chairman (name withheld) has been making outrageous demands from the NDDC and when the Board could not meet these demands through a normal process, the budget of the Commission for the years 2017, 2018 and 2019 were not sent to the National Assembly and in its place the NDDC Management was intimidated into awarding emergency contracts only for three years thereby abandoning the Niger Delta Development Plan and Legacy Projects. In the process, the Senate Committee Chairman was awarded a total of one thousand contracts which he claimed he shared to Senators. The salient question arises to wit, should the contracts be shared among Senators or awarded to competent contractors? The Senate Committee Chairman therefore blatantly raped the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and abused the NDDC Act.
“Let it be noted that these emergency projects were not executed while the monies meant for the projects were pocketed even though the said contracts were awarded at very highly inflated sums. Therefore, nothing is on ground to justify all the huge expenditure of the Niger Delta Development Commission so far. For the said years of 2017, 2018 and 2019, over one trillion naira has been expended on these so-called emergency projects without budgetary provisions or even actual execution of the projects. This is a monumental fraud that must not be swept under the carpet. We also have it on authoritative records that the said senator was receiving the sum of one billion naira monthly from the LNG funds of NDDC until this sacrilegious ritual was stopped by the Interim Management Committee. All these incontrovertible findings are pointers to the fact that the senator is an interested party thereby invalidating the screening exercise which he conducted in a very biased manner”, the coalition stated.
The CSOs, therefore, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to commence the immediate prosecution of those already investigated for dipping their hands in the NDDC pie.
News
Elele Etche community Gets Interim Youth Leaders ….As traditional rulers Warned Against land grabbing
Elele Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers state has inaugurated an interim Youth Executive to run the affairs of the Elele Central Youth Association for the next six months.Among those inaugurated are, Comrade Godspower Anaele as the youth leader, Godspower Nwala, deputy youth leader and Barrister Nnamdi Abel as General Secretary/Legal Adviser.Also inaugurated are,Mr Ifeanyi Emmanuel as Assistant General Secretary,Chibuike Nwamkpa as financial secretary, Michael Ogundu , public Relations officer,Miss Faith Nwaobilor , welfare officer and Charles I K.Agugoesi as provost.The Ochimba of Elele community Etche local government Area ,HRH Eze Innocent Anaemeje who inaugurated the youth executive warned them against involvement in anti social behavioursEze Anaemeje particularly warned them against involvement in land grabbing stressing that having eliminated land grabbing from the area, the community will frown at any attempt to bring it back.He said though the interim youth executive has six months to run the affairs of the Elele central youth Association, the community might return them if their performances are satisfactory.In an interview with newsmen, The Elele Etche monarch said his kingdom has only one youth body which is the Elele Central Youth Association, warning that private youth bodies will never be allowed to operate in the kingdom.He said his kingdom is laying a foundation that will promote hardwork and respect to constituted Authoritaties especially from the youth, adding that nobody irrespective of his position will be allowed to hold the community to ransomAccording to him, the youth of Elele Etche must respect their elders , the government and cultivate the virtues of hardwork and honesty, stressing that nobody will be allowed to bring shame to the kingdom.Anaemeje who is the chairman welfare committee of The Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers used the occasion to call on both the Rivers state Government and Etche Local Government Council to assist the community with the rehabilitation of its dilapidated health centreHe said the health centre which was constructed through communal efforts has become dilapidated leading to its abandonment.Eze Anaemeje also called for Government intervention on the epileptic power situation in the area and congratulated Governor Siminalaye Fubara for his reinstatement after six months of emergency rule in the state.Also speaking the Ezeoha of Etche ethnic nationality,HRH Eze Chima Nwagha called on youths in the community to respect their eldersHe warned that no indigene in the area should be allowed to use his position to destroy the kingdom and advised the newly inaugurated youth association to rule with the fear of God.
By: John Bibor & Birane progress
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Borno State chapter, has urged Nigerians to make the right choices and take responsibility for the nation’s progress instead of blaming leaders for its challenges.
Borno CAN Chairman, Bishop John Bogna Bakeni, made the call in Maiduguri on Saturday, stressing that national renewal requires both accountable leadership and responsible citizenship.
He said the transformation of Nigeria’s economic and political systems depends on deliberate moral choices and collective action by citizens.
“As I said in my message on the pulpit, Nigerians must make the right choices. We must hold our leaders accountable at all levels, but we must also take responsibility,” Bishop Bakeni stated.
He added that it is not enough to desire a better country without consciously choosing good over evil and making efforts to build it.
Bakeni noted that problems such as kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and corruption stem from the failure of families to instill discipline and values in their children.
“We cannot continue to blame the government alone. Parents must monitor their children and instill discipline and honesty in them. Evil thrives when families abandon their moral duties,” he warned.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists has commended the Department of State Services for the prompt release of two journalists, Ruth Marcus and Keshia Jang of Jay 101.9 FM, Jos, who were recently arrested while covering the funeral of the late mother of the All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda.
The NUJ National President, Alhassan Yahya, in a statement on Sunday, said the union welcomed the intervention of the DSS Director-General, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, which led to the immediate release of the journalists.
Our correspondent gathered that the journalists had captured footage showing DSS operatives preventing some pastors from gaining access to the church premises where the funeral service was taking place.
Security officials were screening attendees, and in the process, some clerics were denied entry.
Marcus and Jang had been detained after posting a video report on social media showing a confrontation between a cleric and security operatives at the funeral, an incident that raised widespread concern over press freedom and the right of journalists to perform their lawful duties.
The statement partly read, “We are encouraged by the decisive intervention of the DSS Director-General, who not only ordered their release but also personally reached out to the Union to tender his apologies. He has also reiterated his directive to DSS operatives to conduct thorough investigations before making arrests.”
The NUJ president described the gesture as a positive shift in the culture of Nigeria’s security institutions.
“The willingness of the DSS leadership to admit errors, apologise where necessary, and commit to reforms is an important step in strengthening public trust and confidence in the agency,” he stated.
While commending the development, Abdullahi urged the DSS and other security agencies to sustain the new approach and respect the rights of journalists at all times.
“Press freedom is the bedrock of democracy, and journalists must never be treated as adversaries for performing their constitutional duties. We call on the DSS to institutionalise accountability by sanctioning officers whose actions undermine democratic values and constitutional rights”, he said.
He stressed that only by enforcing discipline within the ranks can such progress be consolidated.
Abdullahi further assured that the NUJ remains committed to constructive engagement with security institutions to strengthen mutual understanding, promote professionalism, and safeguard both press freedom and national security.
“We urge our members across the country to remain vigilant, courageous, and professional in the discharge of their duties,” the NUJ president added.
