From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The traditional ruler of Idjerhe Kingdom of Delta State, Ovie Obukowho Monday Whiskey, Udrhie I, yesterday, decried the continued delay in constituting a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and demanded immediate sack of the Minister of the Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, for non-performance.
The monarch said non-functioning of the intervention the NDDC owing to lack of board and managing director has resulted in many abandoned projects in his domain and in the Niger Delta region.
He disclosed that all efforts to speak out against what the failure in inaugurating the NDDC Board has cost the region and to draw the attention of the President to their plight, has not yielded anything.
The Ovie, therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the Niger Delta, just as he demanded that all multi-National Oil Companies operating in the Niger Delta should relocate their headquarters to where they are drilling oil.
“I believe the happenings in the NDDC are not new to anybody in this region. President Muhammadu Buhari must come to the rescue of the Niger Delta people at this critical time. If giving agencies to ministries is to make it more effective, then the intention to domicile NDDC with the ministry of Niger Delta has failed completely.
“Because we have come to now notice that it was domiciled in the Ministry of Niger Delta for political reasons, so that one individual can dictate the pace of development or economic empowerment of individuals and organisations in the entire oil and gas producing States of the country.
“The honourable Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, has done a lot of damage to the region of the oil producing communities and as a result of that I have no hesitation to tell Mr. President to sack the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio now.
“Looking into what he has done in the past three years, we have a enough reasons to believe that the common wealth of the people of the Niger Delta is what individuals are squandering and we cannot continue on that path.
“If you recall, the NDDC Act 2000 has no place for Sole Administrator or Interim Management Committee. We left the stage of Interim Management Committee to the stage of Sole Administrator. You are all aware that distinguished Nigerians, notable sons and daughters of the oil producing communities were nominated by Mr.President.
“They were screened and confirmed by the National Assembly. It behoves on Mr. President to live up to his constitutional responsibilities by inaugurating the already screened and confirmed board of the NDDC under the chairmanship of His Excellency, Dr. Pius Odubu and Managing Directorship of Olorogun Bernard Okumagba.
“What is happening here in the NDDC is a shame. As I speak, there are notable projects that are supposed to be on-going in the Idjerhe kingdom, a notable oil and gas kingdom in the Niger Delta region, and nothing is happening.”