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N’Delta Leaders Laud NDDC, Back Forensic Audit
Some prominent Niger Delta leaders and critical stakeholders have thrown their weight behind the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and declared their support for the on-going forensic audit in the commission.
The cream of advocates from the oil-rich region, led by Chief Timi Kaiser Ogoriba, stated their position during a solidarity visit to the NDDC management at the commission’s new permanent headquarters in Port Harcourt.
The delegation, which included Ms. Ankio Briggs and Alhaji Asari Dokubo, lauded the IMC for taking some notable strides, while urging it to do more because the development of the Niger Delta region was still a far cry from what was envisaged by those whose agitations led to the establishment of the NDDC.
Ogoriba said: “The on-going forensic audit is very necessary because the funds that have passed through the NDDC from inception till date, do not match the development on ground. Given this fact, anyone that is against the forensic audit has a problem, and such a person is an enemy of the Niger Delta people.”
He observed that a lot of the funds that had come into the NDDC were not properly managed, stating: “We want a situation where things are done differently for better results.”
Ogoriba applauded the NDDC for completing its permanent headquarters building, urging the commission to also monitor the proper execution of its projects.
“You need an independent project monitoring committee that will stick to rules and ensure compliance with set standards,” he said.
Responding, the NDDC Acting Managing Director, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, said that the IMC was poised to reposition and refocus the commission as directed by President Muhamadu Buhari.
He said: “The NDDC has existed for 20 years, doing things the same way and it has not been able to deliver on its core mandate of fast-tracking development in the Niger Delta region.
“We have tried to make some changes but we met a lot of challenges. We believe that with all hands on deck and leaving the past behind, we are going to surge forward and bring the needed development to our people.”
Pondei expressed sadness that the NDDC, which was set up as an interventionist agency, ended up performing the functions of local and state governments, thus limiting its capacity to intervene where necessary.
He declared: “We want to return the NDDC to its proper role as an interventionist agency.
“That is why we are revisiting the region’s roadmap, the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan. The development compass needs review and we will need inputs from all stakeholders to once again underline what the NDDC is supposed to be doing.”
In the area of project monitoring, Pondei said that the commission had since changed its approach.
He explained: “In the recent inspection of just 15 projects by the Executive Director Projects and his team, the commission saved N1.6billion from overstated milestones. They could not match what was on ground with what was presented in Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs). We could have done more of these project inspections but for the distractions coming from our detractors. Nevertheless, we are set to resume the inspection visits.”
The NDDC boss said that the commission had been engaging the governors of the nine Niger Delta states.
According to him, “our plan is to hold regular meetings but this has not been realized because of the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we have been able to hold virtual meetings through Zoom.”
Pondei lamented that various agricultural programmes have failed in the Niger Delta region on account of poor funding. Notwithstanding, he said, the commission had started a pilot rice planting project which would be spread across the region subsequently.
He said further: “This project will help in getting our youths to be meaningfully engaged in farming. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is ready to provide loans for it.
“We also have plans to train our youths to benefit from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7 project. Barring funding challenges, we want to train the youths in under-water welding.”
Also speaking, the NDDC Executive Director Projects, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, assured that the IMC would do the right things for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta.
He said that the demonstration of support from leaders of the region was re-assuring, noting that the solidarity visit to NDDC meant that the IMC was on the right path.
In her own remarks, an environmental and human rights activist, Annkio Briggs, bemoaned a situation where the NDDC and the Niger Delta region were now a laughing stock in Nigeria because everybody who wanted to make excuses for the injustice in the region cites the poor performance of the NDDC.
The truth, she said, was that the commission had to deal with a system where its budget must be taken to the National Assembly where the lawmakers were at liberty to pick and choose what they want before approving the budget.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.