The new change in the leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which enlarged the membership of the Interim Management Committee from three to five, is to ensure that the agency is focused on its agenda of instilling discipline and zero tolerance for corruption. It is a further demonstration that no one is indispensible in the management of the NDDC. It shows that the Federal Government’s vision to clean the agency of unwholesome practices is still on course. It shows also that those in charge of the agency are alive to their responsibilities. Therefore, those in the newly enlarged committee must of necessity align with the vision that informed the setting up of the forensic audit in the first place. They should not waver or derail from it. 

They need not be remanded that they should work to the benefit of the people of the nine oil-bearing states that make up the commission. The agency was set up to remedy the environmental degradation of the oil-bearing Niger Delta states. The new leadership of the agency is headed by Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei. The new acting Managing Director of the commission took over from Dr. Joi Nunieh. Other members of the interim management committee include Dr. Cairo Ojougboh who is the acting Executive Director (Projects); Mr. Ibanga Etang, acting Executive Director (Finance and Administration); Mrs. Caroline Nagbo (member); and Cecilia Akintomide, a former Vice President with African Development Bank (member).

The new management of the commission has been enjoined by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to cooperate with the forensic auditors probing the activities of the agency of the hitherto corruption-ridden commission. The corruption in the NDDC is legendary and Akpabio said much about it during the inauguration of the newly enlarged members of the commission. According to him, “The story of NDDC in the last 19 years has not been rosy. The NDDC, we believe could have achieved more. You have a stunted child who could have been a six-footer. We need to find out the reason why the child could not grow. Is it that the child was not given enough nourishment?”

Akpabio is not alone in this tale of lamentation over the fate of the commission expected to change life, environment and infrastructure in the nine oil-producing states of Niger Delta comprising Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Abia, Delta, Edo and Ondo. Stakeholders including governors of the Niger Delta oil-bearing states had said so.  There is no doubt that the citizens of the oil-producing states of the NDDC would like the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs “see the NDDC build specialist hospitals and provide light to communities in darkness.”

They would like him “see NDDC support industrialization and food sufficiency in the Niger Delta.” In fact, Nigerians would like to see an end to the general and unconscionable sleaze in NDDC. It is good that the new boss of NDDC, Prof. Pondei, has assured that past mistakes would not be repeated. Pondei also reiterated that the forensic audit is never intended to witch-hunt anyone but to ensure that the right thing is done and seen to have been done. It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had on October 17, 2019 ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the NDDC from 2001 to 2019.

Buhari had then explained that the probe was a response to persistent criticisms of the management of the special intervention agency, which was set up to address the environmental and developmental challenges in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. As an experienced academic and seasoned administrator, it is believed that Pondei will allow the wealth of his experience to bear on the new job. Before his appointment, Pondei was a professor of Medical Microbiology with specialty in Virology and the Provost of the College of health sciences, Niger Delta University. He obtained the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Lagos. He later proceeded to the School of Molecular Medical Sciences, University of Nottingham for his PhD in Microbiology.

Related News

The new management of the commission must make sure that all the nine oil-producing states that make up the NDDC are carried along in its development projects. The tour of the NDDC states as recently commenced by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is quite in order. Apart from seeing NDDC projects in those states, it will enable the ministry be abreast of problems facing the oil-bearing states in order to proffer appropriate remedies. All complaints about marginalization by some member states of the commission in terms of appointments of the head of the agency should be looked into when such appointments are made in future.

It is good that the headship of the agency is made to go round all the states in alphabetical order. No state should be skipped when it gets to its turn. The forensic probe of the activities of the NDDC is good. Nigerians would like to see the unearthing of the colossal, systemic corruption in the system. Nigerians would like to see an end to an era of payment for jobs not executed and other financial infractions in the agency. They would like to see that those involved are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the laws of the land.

Those found to have embezzled money belonging to the agency must be made to refund them with interest. This is perhaps the best and surest way to ensure that the perfidy is never repeated in future. But treating those involved with kid gloves will go a long way to perpetuate the culture of endemic corruption in the system. After the audit, stringent measures should be put in place to ensure that that the agency does not become a cash cow in future for politicians and their cronies.

To speedy up the audit of the agency and ensure thoroughness, it is imperative that more audit firms should be engaged to seamlessly carry out the exercise. There should be a timeline for the audit. It should never be an interminable exercise. The new management of the NDDC headed by Prof. Pondei needs the support of those who appointed them into office and the fervent prayers of Nigerians to succeed.

They also need the support of the people of the states that make up the NDDC to succeed as well. There is no doubt that the newly appointed 11-member Monitoring Committee for the NDDC, headed by Senator Godswill Akpabio would be handy to see that things work well in the commission.