AAmidst growing tension in the Niger Delta region, Nseobong Okon-Ekong recounts how the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has serially reneged on his promised dates to conclude the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari in October 2019, thereby delaying the inauguration of a substantive NDDC Board
“So, the forensic audit of NDDC is on course and it is progressing very well and I am happy with the progress made so far. And I am very certain that by end of July which is just a month and a few weeks away the final result will be given to the president for implementation.”
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio PHOTO:Twitter
The Niger Delta Minister Chief Godswill Akpabio recently hinted that the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, which he had earlier said would be concluded and the report submitted before April (this month) will now be concluded in July, following which the Governing Board will be put in place. We consider this an insult to good governance and the Niger Delta people, that an external audit is not only taking place for over a year and a half now but that a development agency for the region is being run haphazardly, without a Governing Board as provided for in its Establishment Act, at the whims and caprices of Akpabio.
Godswill-Akpabio
Boma Ebiakpo, National Chairman of Niger Delta Peoples Forum, amplifies the calls for the swearing-in of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission without further delay
President Muhammadu Buhari must not sit by and let the charade orchestrated by Niger Delta Minister Chief Godswill Akpabio at the NDDC continue. Under the ruse of an audit, Chief Akpabio has commandeered the NDDC as his personal estate, which he executes as he wishes.
For one and a half years (Since October 2019) he has caused the NDDC to be run by a succession of interim managements while putting on hold the Governing Board nominated by Mr President and confirmed by the Senate in line with the NDDC Act. In the last 18 months (since October 2019), the NDDC has had three illegal Interim Managements imposed on it contrary to the provisions of the NDDC Act. The first was headed by Joi Nunieh, the second by Prof Daniel Pondei (Akpabio’s former classmate at Federal Government Colle
Godswill Akpabio
President Muhammadu Buhari must not sit by and let the charade orchestrated by Niger Delta Minister Chief Godswill Akpabio at the NDDC continue. Under the ruse of an audit, Chief Akpabio has commandeered the NDDC as his personal estate, which he executes as he wishes.
For one and a half years (Since October 2019) he has caused the NDDC to be run by a succession of interim managements while putting on hold the Governing Board nominated by Mr President and confirmed by the Senate in line with the NDDC Act. In the last 18 months (since October 2019), the NDDC has had three illegal Interim Managements imposed on it contrary to the provisions of the NDDC Act. The first was headed by Joi Nunieh, the second by Prof Daniel Pondei (Akpabio’s former classmate at Federal Government College Portharcourt), and the third is the current Interim Sole Administrator in the person of Effiong Okon Akwa who was previously Akpabio’s staff while he was Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
We are in full agreement with the demands of the Governors of the South-South States for the immediate inauguration of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to run the agency in line with the NDDC Act. We are pleased that the Governors of the Niger Delta states have now spoken out […]