From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that despite the inauguration of the advisory council of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), oil producing state governors were still sidelined in the affairs of the intervention agency.
Governor Wike noted that because the governing party dictates what happens in the NDDC, the commission now acts like a state on its own and refusing to interface with the governors of the oil producing States to strategically develop the Niger Delta region.
He made the statement when members of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC led by its chairman, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday.
Governor Wike explained that contrary to assumption that governors of the Niger Delta are critical stakeholders in the affairs of the NDDC, they were not in the true sense of it.
According to him, since the inauguration of the NDDC advisory council last year, the present federal government has ensured that the governors were sidelined in the affairs of the commission.
Wike said: “Even when we are inaugurated, we were not involved in anything that happens in NDDC. Which is most unfortunate”.
He further continued: “NDDC is like a state on its own without working with the State government and why is it so. It is so because the states of NDDC are controlled by the opposition party. Therefore, there is no need to consult with them”.
The governor explained that in a bid to ensure NDDC does not embark on indiscriminate execution of projects that often distort the state developmental agenda, the Rivers State government recently obtained a court order that prohibited the commission from carrying out projects without the consent of the state government.
Governor Wike urged the National Assembly to be resolute in its oversight function by ensuring that NDDC stops frittering the resources meant for the development of the Niger Delta region on building roads in Army barracks, police stations and spending billions of naira to ensure he (Wike) did not win reelection.
The governor stated that NDDC and the Rivers State had once agreed to collaborate on a legacy project, but the commission ended up defrauding the State government
Wike declared: “NDDC fraudulently duped us over the Mother and Child Hospital. They duped us. They had an agreement with the State government to build a regional hospital called Mother and Child Hospital. They agreed that it will be N1.7 billion. State government to bring N800 million, they will bring N900 million. State government at that time paid their N800 million. NDDC mobilised the contractor with N400 million of the N800 million we brought and then abandoned the contractor and the contractor left site. And when we came on board, we said okay, we don’t want to partner with you again, give us back our N400 million, it became a problem. Politics came in”.
The governor said he would continually speak out for the interest of the people of Rivers State.
According to him, within one year, the state government awarded contracts for construction of eight flyovers and on Wednesday, approved over N16 billion for the development of critical infrastructure in the Rivers State University.
“I want the best for my people. They have given me everything in life. So, I owe them. It is not what I will make they have already made. So, what do I offer back”?
He urged the National Assembly to ensure that planned amendment of the Electoral Act will usher in a new era of free and fair elections.
He insisted that, “there cannot be development without good governance. There cannot be good governance without the rule of law. Good governance without the rule of law cannot work”.
Leaders of the delegation and chairman of the committee, Dr. Tunji- Ojo explained that the purpose of the visit was predicated on the fact that Governor Wike is a principal stakeholder in the affairs of NDDC.
According to him, while oversighting the agency, the committee will ensure that NDDC works in synergy with critical stakeholders of the region.
He stated: “People outside Niger Delta believed that development might not be possible in Niger Delta. With the projects we have in Rivers State, it shows that Niger Delta can actually work.
“We are here in line with Section 88 of the Constitution, which empowers us to oversight agencies that we appropriate funds to ensure accountability, transparency and the effective utilisation of public funds for the people of Nigeria.
“On behalf of my colleague, I will like to assure you that under the watchful eyes of this committee, we will ensure that NDDC works in synergy with critical stakeholders of the region”.