By Celephina Onovo
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio has slammed the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as being frivolous, shameless and unfocused in the manner they piloted the affairs of the agency for more than 20 years now.
Akpabio lamented the huge expenses the management of the NDDC had incurred through rents and politically-motivated projects, noting that such had hurt the communities the NDDC was expected to serve.
Akpabio spoke during his first meeting with the management of the NDDC led by its acting managing director, Dr Akwagaga Enyia. He was accompanied by his Minister of State, Festus Kayamo.
Lamenting that successive NDDC managements preferred to pay N300 million on rented apartment as against completing the agency’s headquarters, Akpobio said it was a shame the agency did not have any legacy project to show even when its indebtedness is in excess of N2 trilion.
An angry Akpabio therefor hinted that the Federal Government would conduct a forensic audit of the money that came into the NDDC since 2000 and how it was spent.
The minister said the Federal Government had received several petitions regarding political appointments made in the NDDC, noting that government was looking at them.
Akpabio said: “Since the time of OMPADEC, you started a building; unfortunately, 20 years after, you have not been able to complete it. You should also have a little bit of sober reflection. It is a meeting to appraise where we are today, where we ought to be and where we are going.
“I don’t want you to look at me as a politician because politicians speak with both sides of the mouth. You have before you a representative of Mr President who is very poised and determined to work with you to redirect the NDDC.
“The creation of the NDDC was strategic; it was a child of necessity. I believe that the NDDC has not performed well. I don’t want to say that you have failed the South-South zone. But I’m saying that you have not performed well. There are a lot of complaints all over, even from the youths of the Niger Delta.
“We talk about the NDDC as if it is a cash cow. But I think that in terms of debt and what you pile up, you owe over N2tr. The problem we are having is that you won’t even know the ones that are real and the ones that are political.
“We will do forensic analysis and audits; we will try to go backwards, even from year 2000 until now to know what came in, what went out and why we have not seen much on the ground. We will stop you from doing politically-motivated roads, where you go to black soils, pour asphalt and then commission it. When the first rain comes, it washes away.
“We will stop you from paying N200m to N300m a year as rent on the headquarters you are staying. You should be ashamed of paying the state government over N200m to N300m a year when you could have completed where you are and move in.
“How come we don’t have legacy projects to show in the Niger Delta? But with a strong collaboration between the Ministry and Niger Delta, I see a brighter future.”