The National Vice Chairman (south south) of the All Progressives
Congress, Hilliard Eta, has urged the incoming administration of
Muhammadu Buhari to overhaul all development agencies of the Niger
Delta.
Mr. Eta said the call was necessary because the agencies, due to endemic corruption, had deviated from their initial mandate of fixing the Niger Delta .
In a statement Tuesday, the APC Chieftain said, “Reference has been made of the endemic corruption within the ranks of the Niger Delta Development Commission; a situation which has witnessed crude competition for the public assets entrusted to the commission by members. This has been a complete deviation from the initial mandate handed the commission to fix the development of the Niger Delta region following the neglect of the area by successive governments.
“Unfortunately, while the government has been investing huge capital outlay for the development of the neglected region that bear the nation’s fortunes, the authorities have reduced the commission to a conduit pipe thus rendering the Niger Delta the weeping child of the country.”
According to the APC, “The Niger Delta environment and the livelihood of the inhabitants are still in a sorry state because both the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs have failed in their responsibilities.”
Mr. Eta said overhauling the NDDC in particular was necessary to redefine the modus operandi of the agency using the APC manifesto which dwells basically on the peoples welfare and development needs as a benchmark.
“Overhauling the commission will mean taking into cognizance the APC manifesto as a benchmark towards implementing the welfare and development needs of the inhabitants of the region. Doing so would have repositioned the commission as a veritable tool for churning out development projects and programs in the Niger Delta.”
The statement noted that the current NDDC board had deviated from the norm and this has been a factor of endemic corruption.
“Recently we heard that a former commissioner from a certain state was sentenced to three years imprisonment for diverting a sizeable number of transformers that were distributed to his state for rural electrification projects,” Mr. Eta said. “How does this translate to development of those communities?
” With the assurance by the president-elect that the new paradigm of development will be greatly anchored on the APC manifesto which puts the people as first charge, it became imperative to overhaul the old order of the commission’s responsibility in order to make it vibrant in line with the new reality of development.
‘It is expedient for Mr. President-Elect to first dissolve the entire board and structure of the commission, then review the operational guidelines with a view to making it align with the APC manifesto to truly develop the Niger Delta and make life meaningful for its inhabitants.
“Besides, a new crop of board should be set up who must be made up of men and women of proven integrity and who must accept strict financial discipline and the political will to develop the area as their code of ethics.
“The mantra of corruption had rendered the commission moribund saying that the commission could justify the huge investment by the central government to fix the Niger Delta.”
Mr. Eta said the call was necessary because the agencies, due to endemic corruption, had deviated from their initial mandate of fixing the Niger Delta .
In a statement Tuesday, the APC Chieftain said, “Reference has been made of the endemic corruption within the ranks of the Niger Delta Development Commission; a situation which has witnessed crude competition for the public assets entrusted to the commission by members. This has been a complete deviation from the initial mandate handed the commission to fix the development of the Niger Delta region following the neglect of the area by successive governments.
“Unfortunately, while the government has been investing huge capital outlay for the development of the neglected region that bear the nation’s fortunes, the authorities have reduced the commission to a conduit pipe thus rendering the Niger Delta the weeping child of the country.”
According to the APC, “The Niger Delta environment and the livelihood of the inhabitants are still in a sorry state because both the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs have failed in their responsibilities.”
Mr. Eta said overhauling the NDDC in particular was necessary to redefine the modus operandi of the agency using the APC manifesto which dwells basically on the peoples welfare and development needs as a benchmark.
“Overhauling the commission will mean taking into cognizance the APC manifesto as a benchmark towards implementing the welfare and development needs of the inhabitants of the region. Doing so would have repositioned the commission as a veritable tool for churning out development projects and programs in the Niger Delta.”
The statement noted that the current NDDC board had deviated from the norm and this has been a factor of endemic corruption.
“Recently we heard that a former commissioner from a certain state was sentenced to three years imprisonment for diverting a sizeable number of transformers that were distributed to his state for rural electrification projects,” Mr. Eta said. “How does this translate to development of those communities?
” With the assurance by the president-elect that the new paradigm of development will be greatly anchored on the APC manifesto which puts the people as first charge, it became imperative to overhaul the old order of the commission’s responsibility in order to make it vibrant in line with the new reality of development.
‘It is expedient for Mr. President-Elect to first dissolve the entire board and structure of the commission, then review the operational guidelines with a view to making it align with the APC manifesto to truly develop the Niger Delta and make life meaningful for its inhabitants.
“Besides, a new crop of board should be set up who must be made up of men and women of proven integrity and who must accept strict financial discipline and the political will to develop the area as their code of ethics.
“The mantra of corruption had rendered the commission moribund saying that the commission could justify the huge investment by the central government to fix the Niger Delta.”
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