The deception and distractions concerning maladministration in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) continued last week with the leakage (or is it publication) of information on National Assembly members who got contracts from the agency. The development confirmed once again how low the political class has fallen on the moral ladder. It is disheartening to note that gatekeepers turned round to covert materials kept in their custody. It would be very embarrassing, if it turns out true, even though from the side we know a few things in this regard.
“Attracting projects,” the new phrase is negative in its self, it is indicative of no planning, doing things in staccato form. No country progresses running her development race this way. Things have gotten so bad that public officials are no longer ashamed of nasty developments around them and the organisations they superintend over. What could be more terrible! If any public official, including any working in NDDC, is found to have taken contracts directly or indirectly, he or she should vacate authority, and in case of failure to do this, we should apply enough pressure to get the official out of office. Time has come for our country to have clearly defined public office protocol and convention.
In releasing those names I saw things non-initiates can’t see. It is not essentially about fighting corruption, otherwise these names would not be released at this point, it would have formed part of the much cherished forensic audit report, but it is being done now to create a drama hinged on the usual nasty political culture. Leaders of the Niger Delta would be involved, so also a good number of legislators in the National Assembly. By the time this facade is over lawful captives would have been taken. Minister of the Niger Delta is happy amplifying this music that for now is more distractive than useful. Yet, we the people, especially those of the region, have a responsibility to bend backwards and convert current effusions to good; that is the major challenge.
In societies that desire progress officials, caught in the web of tangled controversies resign and where they fail to follow that part of honour, the people force both the government and individual(s) enmeshed in the tangle to toe the right path of moral rectitude in order to safeguard the health of the larger society. What has happened in NDDC, in some places is enough to topple governments but unfortunately here we have become immune to even issues that destroy lives and stall societal growth. This is unfortunate indeed.
From what we have heard, one can safely reach the conclusion that governments, their surrogates and a section of the political class by which we have in clear view governors, administrators, management staff, politicians and legislators have in ways worked to divert NDDC from what it was set up to do, if at all it had any clear role assigned to it from the beginning. I say so from the standpoint that it is clear to all that the creators, beginning from Ibrahim Babangida to Olusegun Obasanjo inferred that the efforts through such agency should be interventionist in nature and we know very well that the Niger Delta cannot be developed by that means. What is required is a deliberate policy by the Federal Government under a Marshall Plan and pursued with zeal.
This is the missing link and it is this challenge that is at the root of all the crises bedevilling the set up. Poor leadership recruitment into NDDC came from lack of commitment. Lack of vision made NDDC become a job for the boys and compensation for belonging to the winning party. It explains the attention given to useless and wasteful programmes which officials pass for projects. Clearing drainages, hotel bills and for Lassa Fever, the Interim Management Committee (IMC) had paid out N1.96billion for kits, N1.49billion to protect staff from COVID-19, and N1.12billion for public communication to enable indigenes identify NDDC projects on behalf of the commission. Every road has the tag emergency repairs. It paid travel allowances for foreign trips etc. When the government sings “We are fighting corruption, nothing will stop us,” some of us look back and imagine.
Whoever advised the President to abdicate his supervisory role over NDDC did him the greatest disservice. Given the volatility attached to oil politics, national wealth and development, such advice or thought ought not to come forward at all. The President must take back his responsibility and this time resolve to do things properly. We have heard stories in the recent past where nominations to this agency were merchandised; it shouldn’t happen at all.
The IMC is absurd, the activities of its members together amount to a blight and they should go with immediate effect. They should be probed. They came to correct but turned out terrible in so short a time. The argument that they are being harassed because of forensic audit holds no water, what would have justified this would have been if they came to equity with clean hands, but from what we heard before the fainting drama, they too were on a spree. That alone is instructive. The finger pointing at legislators who got contracts establishes a case of many wrongs. It does not exonerate any one. It is a confirmation of mismanagement and particularly abuse of laid down process. Once again, let the IMC go immediately.
Let the forensic audit continue. What surprises us is the revelation that NDDC funds should be used. This is another indication of low interest about the development of the region. Federal government should pick its bill. Let the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Auditor General’s office work with the hired auditors. Government should constitute a board for the agency now and be clear on its marching orders to it. What to do must be clear, quality and standards including timelines should be clearly defined.
Nobody should moot the idea of doing away with NDDC for now except there is far better alternative. We should be ashamed that the region is responsible for the wealth of the country yet remains the least developed. It is an ironic and nightmarish story that depicts how badly we have managed our affairs as a people and as a country. The NDDC matter is also not about new regulations; we have more than enough laws and yet what happened took place. It is about care and sound recruitment of officials. To get round this I suggest the government works with community stakeholders. It should also do proper consultations before making choices.
Administrative ability of indigenes of the region is not dented by these events. The truth is that they never made their choices. Governments have always made selections without consultations and such choices always ran on the instructions of their benefactors. It can be changed now; we know that it is difficult to put something on nothing and expect it to stand. We all know it won’t. In economics, wasting time to achieve value amounts to nothing done or exercise poorly executed. The president should not stay quiet on this matter too long.