Admin l Saturday, April 04, 2020
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers, Nigeria – The Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) has appealed to Nigerians to allow the Interim Management Committee(IMC) to carry out its duty of auditing the agency as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement by Charles Obi Odili, Director, Corporate Affairs, the commission said various attacks have been directed at the commission with a view to derailing it from focus.
He said the various publications were authored by self-serving interest groups alleging all manners of impropriety by the newly installed Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the Commission.
He said the attacks are targeted at Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, who is driving the forensic audit in the NDDC ordered on the Commission by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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“Our fear is that in the attempt to undermine the minister’s efforts, his traducers may unwittingly be making the Commission and its mandate, a collateral damage. We are also mindful that the Interim Management Committee, made up of some of the best professional hands in the Niger Delta, should not be distracted”, he said.
However, in order to clear any doubt he has decided to set out the facts.
Payment for Water Hyacinth Contract
The authors of the articles on various platforms are alleging that the Commission is spending billions on ‘phony water hyacinth contracts’. We state that this Interim Management Committee has neither awarded nor paid a single kobo for any water hyacinth contract.
Payment for Desilting Contracts
We also state unequivocally that this Interim Management Committee has not awarded or paid for any desilting contract.
Head Office Project
The Interim Management committee is focused on completing the permanent headquarters project. Work is progressing satisfactorily. As a result of this commitment, it is paying the contractor for work done and on time. But for the Corona Virus, the commission would have completed the new head office this month.
It beats the imagination that any person of sane mind would prefer that the Commission continues to pay rent for a temporary head office rather than complete and occupy its own.
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Staff Redeployment
We wish to also state that this IMC is determined to change the narrative of the Commission and its mandate. This involves reforming the commission, its processes and values. As part of the drive, the IMC has redeployed directors and other staff to new beats for operational efficiency.
This redeployment was carefully done to put square pegs in square holes and also reinvigorate the team by challenging the staff to confront the challenges facing the Commission. To allude any ulterior motive to an exercise of such altruistic value it to stretch mischief too far.
He stated that the Niger Delta Development Commission exists for the good of the region.
“It is a great disservice to its people for a few selfish elite to go on the attack every time their attempt to corner the resources of the commission is challenged.
“The forensic audit ordered by the President Muhammadu Buhari, which Senator Akpabio is pursuing with his uncommon passion, is for the good of all stakeholders.
“The greatest tragedy would be for a few elite to truncate the good intentions of the Federal Government because their access to the commonwealth is being threatened. We plead with them to allow the Interim Management Committee to do its work”, he said.
