A group, Niger Delta Elders, yesterday, said it was time for the Federal Government to correct the wrongs inflicted the oil-rich region, especially in the last three years, with the appointment of Obong Umana Umana as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
The elders led by the national president, Tonye Ogbogbula, urged the new minister to ensure the inauguration of the governing board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
He said: "We join other authentic Niger Delta stakeholders to congratulate Obong Umana on his deserved appointment as the new Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and to also thank President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing this distinguished Niger Delta patriot to the exalted position after three years of the inglorious tenure of Godswill Akpabio that practically blighted the entire region.
"It is now apposite to state that it is time to right the wrongs done to the region in the past three years of Akpabio's tenure by inaugurating the substantive board of the NDDC, an action that will be in compliance with the law setting up the Commission, the NDDC Act.
"Authentic stakeholders have consistently demanded that the NDDC Act should be complied with in the governance of the commission during and after the period of the much touted forensic audit. It is illegal to have contraptions of interim management committees/sole administrator to begin to administer the NDDC and arbitrarily utilize the monthly sums due to the NDDC.
"Fittingly Obong Umana, has promised to 'meet the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta for development.' Umana, who spoke during a brief meeting with staff of the ministry, after his inauguration by President Buhari said that "together we can create the necessary impact and make the difference for the people of Nigeria and the Niger Delta."
"Akpabio, by his numerous illegal actions in the NDDC while in office de-marketed the APC and the Federal Government. Niger Deltans are, therefore, understandably very upset with the disdainful manner the region has been treated.
"There is increasing anger against the Federal Government and the APC in the Niger Delta region as a result of the very poor, biased, illegal and provocative actions of the Federal Government in the handling of matters concerning the NDDC and the Niger Delta region.
"We restate that Niger Deltans have consistently condemned the continued desecration of the NDDC Act, which makes clear provisions for the appointment of its management and Governing Board. Under the NDDC Act, each of the nine constituent states - Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers - has a representative on the board.
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"In addition, there is a representative of oil producing companies, all of whom are part time directors. The executive management has a Managing Director and two Executive Directors, who are the only full-time members of the Governing Board.
"The point has been made by Niger Delta stakeholders, and needs to be restated, that President Buhari needs to redeem himself now that the Forensic audit report has been submitted to him since September 2, 2021.
"The President should do well to heed the call of Niger Delta leaders, governors, youths, women, traditional rulers, civil society organizations and other stakeholders, comply with the law setting up NDDC, and also fulfill his own promise of June 24, 2021, and inaugurate the board to manage the Commission for the benefit of the people of the nine Niger Delta states.
"The President should do well to heed the call of Niger Delta leaders, governors, youths, women, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders, comply with the law setting up NDDC, and also fulfill his own promise of June 24, 2021, and inaugurate the board to represent the nine constituent states, and thereby ensure proper corporate governance, checks and balances, accountability, transparency, and probity in managing the Commission," he said.
