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PANDEF, Others Demand Publication Of NDDC Forensic Report
A coalition of Niger Delta groups has called on the Federal Government to publish the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
They specifically said there should be no sacred cows and secrecy in handling the audit report.
The Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio had disclosed last week that the long-awaited report of the audit which started in 2019, had been submitted by a team of auditors.
Akpabio also gave assurance that the document would soon be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The groups, including the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), said at the weekend that every aspect of the report should be made public.
They also challenged the Presidency to muster courage and ensure total transparency in presenting all aspects of the report to the public without fear or favour.
The other groups are Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC) Worldwide, Itsekiri Liberation Group (ILG), Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU), Urhobo Progressive Union (UPU), and Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND).
PANDEF, through its Spokesman, Ken Robinson, expressed concern that the protocols for the presentation of the audit report might cause another delay, all to the detriment of the people of the Niger Delta.
Robinson said, “We might have a situation where they say that they would study it (report), perhaps set up another committee to study it, that’s the way they may go about it. Just to delay it and perpetuate the interim leadership. These will be to the detriment of the people of the Niger Delta.
The IDU Patron, Idu Amadhe, lamented that the forensic audit had been used in the last two years to stall development of the Niger Delta.
He said, “The audit should be done transparently so that all stakeholders will be satisfied. To leave the audit in the hands of someone without making it public is fraudulent, and satanic. Nobody should take the region for a ride.”
Amadhe, therefore, demanded the publication of the full content and raw file of the audit report to enable the whole world and stakeholders to get firsthand knowledge of the true situation of NDDC.
Its Chairman, Livingstone Wechie, added that there should be no sacred cows or exceptions, but total transparency in the entire process.
He said, “It is important to state that the almost irrecoverable undoings in NDDC impacted negatively on the entire region to the benefit of a handful of known political rogues who have robbed the people of the Niger Delta of all development benefits as was originally purposed which precipitated and necessitated the establishment of the commission.”
The ILG Chairman, Mone Oris said that Niger Delta people were eager to know those, including brothers and sisters, who had through their greed, made life difficult in the region.
He noted that since the audit was carried out with public funds, there was no need for the results to be shrouded in secrecy.
Oris said, “If millions of Niger Delta money was spent on the forensic audit, then, it is necessary that without delay, that the report be made public. So, that they would be able to see their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters who have enabled, for the past years, the problem of the Niger Delta region.
“They promised before now that they would make it public. So, they should go ahead and do so. We are tired of the delay because they promised July ending. Now, August is running out, the document is not made public and the board has not been inaugurated. We are seeing foul-play everywhere.”
The President-General of the NNU, General Ndubuisi appealed to Buhari to be courageous and allow stakeholders in the region to know how billions allocated to the region had been spent.
He said, “The forensic audit should be made public, except there is something to hide. Otherwise, I think it should be made public. That is my personal opinion. If a forensic audit is being conducted, then, it should be made public. Except Akpabio lacks the will to do so otherwise the audit should be made public.”
His UPU counterpart, Olorogun Moses Taiga, said, “We want to know those who got money for projects and did not execute them, we expect that the forensic will go as far as revealing which projects were properly executed, which were poorly done and those abandoned and for how much they were awarded.
“The UPU is of the view that the report should be made public because it is public funds. We want to know how much was spent. We believe the report will spell out these details”.
The Pan Ijaw group, MOSIEND, also cast doubts on the audit, saying it lacked transparency.
Its National President, Kennedy Tonjo-West, said many of the communities in the Niger Delta were not covered during the audit.
He demanded that the report be made public so that stakeholders could question the validity or otherwise of the process. .
He said, “Is it that the new board that is coming in will start all over again to do the job they have done? We cannot be satisfied until we read the report being published and then we know the various communities that were captured during their field auditing.”
As Rivers State celebrates the 58th anniversary of its creation today, some stakeholders have called on the State Government to do more towards improving the quality of infrastructure and human capital development in the State..
A cross section of stakeholders who spoke in an interview with The Tide also commended successive administrations in the state for their efforts towards expanding infrastructure network across the state.
They noted that more communities, both at the upland and riverine parts of the State, now have access to road network than when the stayte was created 58 years ago.
They, however, urged the government to return the state to the era of overseas scholarship when brilliant students are given opportunities to further their studies.
Speaking with The Tide, former youth leader of Chokota community in Etche Local Government Area, Mr. Ebere Nwankwo, said Rivers State has made progress in various fronts, despite the ongoing political crisis in the State.
Nwankwo noted that the State now has more tertiary institutions, both private and public, while the number of secondary schools have tripled.
He added that the State has also recorded tremendous progress in the area of healthcare.
According to him, healthcare has been brought closer to the doorstep of the common man, as there is hardly any local government in the state that doesn’t have a government health centre today.
The youth leader further said that many Rivers indigenes, home and abroad, have brought glory to the State in their various capacities, and urged the government to provide the enabling environment for the youths to excel.
Also speaking, the spokesperson for the International Peace Advocates, Mr. Emmanuel Nkweke, said the position of Rivers State among the comity of states in the country cannot be taken for granted.
He attributed this success to the efforts of successive administrations in repositioning the state for development.
Nkweke, however, called for a speedy resolution of the political impasse in the State to enable the State move to the next level of development.
Also speaking, a civil servant, Mrs. Ngozi Sunday, noted the efforts of government to improve the quality of lives of Rivers people, but called for a return to democratic governance in the State.
Another civil servant, Mrs. Munuonye Tina Ogechi, said Rivers State within the past 58 years has recorded significant achievements in road infrastructure, youth empowerment and repositioning of the state civil service for greater productivity.
She commended the suspended Governor of the State, Sir Similanayi Fubara, for taking the issue of women empowerment and peace seriously.
Meanwhile, a teacher, Mr. Orie Fiberesima, decried the high cost of living and lack of jobs in the State, and the need for a more effective government.
He also stressed the need for the government to look into the issue of high rent in Port Harcourt, noting that houses are now beyond the reach of the average Rivers man.
Mr. Innocent Chimobi, in his own view, urged the government to attract more industries and foreign investments to the State as a way of providing employment opportunities for the jobless youths in the State.
He also called the attention of the government to the terrible state of roads in some rural communities, advising the government to work hand in hand with the communities to foster better development.
By: John Bibor/Claire Julius
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, yesterday, unveiled a 12-member ministerial committee to oversee the 753-unit recovered housing estate linked to former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The estate was recently handed over to the Ministry by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement released yesterday, Dangiwa emphasised the critical nature of the assignment, describing it as a key step towards realising the housing component of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement read, “Housing and Urban Development Minister, Ahmed Dangiwa, has inaugurated a twelve-member ministerial committee on the 753-unit recovered housing estate located in the Lokogoma district, Abuja, FCT.”
He reiterated that the committee’s mandate aligns with the President’s vision and the Ministry’s reform objectives to transform the estate into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for Nigerians.
“The committee was constituted based on the vision of Mr President and the Ministry’s housing reform drive to ensure that the recovered property is swiftly transformed into liveable, secure, and affordable homes for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
Dangiwa underscored the importance of technical expertise and institutional integrity in executing the assignment, noting that committee members were selected from key departments within the Ministry.
“Your selection is a testament to the confidence the Ministry has in your ability to drive this initiative with the seriousness and efficiency it demands.
“Nigerians are watching and expect results. They want to see homes completed and allocated transparently. They want to see the government working for them,” Dangiwa emphasised, urging committee members to collaborate effectively and remove unnecessary bottlenecks.
He charged them to adopt a fresh mindset, stating, “Think outside the box. Be results-oriented.”
The committee is chaired by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Shuaib Belgore, and includes senior directors and aides from the technical, financial, engineering, planning, procurement, and media departments.
The committee’s Terms of Reference include conducting a thorough structural and integrity assessment of the buildings, determining the number and condition of housing units, and valuing existing work through proper surveying and market evaluation.
Additionally, the committee will assess costs required to complete essential infrastructure such as roads, power, and water. It will also develop standards for architectural and finishing consistency, propose a fair and transparent strategy for disposal and allocation of units via the Renewed Hope Housing Portal, and devise a public engagement plan to build confidence.
The committee must ensure effective coordination with key stakeholders, including the EFCC, FCTA, and relevant utility providers. A preliminary report is expected within four weeks.
The Minister of State, Yusuf Ata, emphasised the need for the committee to co-opt additional professionals as required, given the scale of the task and tight deadline.
“The committee should have the authority to co-opt members to assist, considering the magnitude of the task and the four-week timeline,” he noted.
Belgore assured that the team would execute its duties diligently and professionally.
“The committee has been tasked with ensuring the recovered estate undergoes a comprehensive technical assessment, is strategically completed, and disposed of transparently and cost-effectively, in line with national housing delivery objectives,” he said.
He added that the success of the assignment would serve as a model for transforming recovered public assets into impactful infrastructure.
“The successful execution of this assignment will serve as a benchmark for converting recovered public assets into infrastructure that directly benefits the people,” he concluded.
Renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has been deported from Saudi Arabia after being denied entry into Medina, effectively barring him from participating in the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage.
Gumi, a Kaduna-based cleric, known for his controversial views on national and international issues, confirmed the development in a statement posted on his official Facebook page, yesterday.
“Due to some reasons related to my views on world politics, the authorities in Saudi Arabia do not want me to be present at Hajj even though they have granted me a visa,” Gumi wrote.
The cleric, who was part of a delegation of religious scholars sponsored by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), arrived at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina on Saturday night via Umza Air.
However, upon arrival, Saudi immigration officials reportedly stopped him at the airport and denied him entry into the city, before placing him on a return flight to Nigeria.
Sheikh Gumi added in a statement on his page that the Nigerian authorities have shown concern and have promised to engage Saudi officials to seek clarification and resolution.
“I am grateful to the authorities in Nigeria who have pledged to engage with the Saudi authorities on this matter,” he said.
Although no official reason has been provided by Saudi Arabia for the deportation, observers believe the action may be connected to Sheikh Gumi’s outspoken political and religious views, which may be at variance with the kingdom’s policies.
Gumi has, in recent years, played a prominent role in dialogue initiatives with armed groups in Nigeria’s northern region and has often voiced criticism of Western and Middle Eastern political interventions.
The incident has sparked discussions among religious communities and the wider public, with many questioning the implications of political ideology on religious observance.
As of the time of filing this report, there is no official statement from the Saudi embassy or the Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the development.
Sheikh Gumi has since resumed his public preaching and teaching engagements in the country.