A coalition of pressure groups under the aegis of Eastern
Niger Delta Coalition (ENDC), has alleged that the controversial board tenure
elongation at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was facilitated by
the Presidency after the sum of $500 million was paid, reports ITRealms.
The group said the key actors in the elongation saga who received
the largesse on behalf of the cabals at the Presidency included the Chief of
Staff to the President, Abba Kyari and the Attorney-General of the Federation
and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abaubakar Malami (SAN).
The coalition in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari
dated November 9 2017, entitled: "Protest against the purported extension
of the tenure of the present Chairman and Managing Director of NDDC)
Board", said the so-called extension was not only morally wrong, but also
does not stand on any legal high ground.
The group therefore gave the present leadership of the NDDC
board December 5 deadline within which it should be terminated, saying "a
stitch in time saves nine."
The petition which was signed by Alali Bokutengo; Miebaka
Harrison Nsan Ebirien and Cordelia Etuk-Udo, was obtained by ITRealms in Abuja,
reads: "Sir, may we use this medium to register our protest against the
purported elongation of the tenure of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egbe (Chairman) and
Obong Nsima Ekere (Managing Director) of the NDDC. To say the least, this
attempt is criminal, offensive, satanic and an anathema to the peace and
development in the Niger Delta region as well as the harmonious co-existence of
all the ethnic nationalities spread across in the 9 (nine) oil producing
states.
"The so-called extension is not only morally wrong, it
does not also stand on any legal high ground. It is insinuated that the said
elongation coup was originated through a legal memo by the AGF, Abubakar Malami
(SAN). This whole exercise is offensive and contrary to the extant/explicit
provisions of the relevant sections of the NDDC Act.
"Our finding reveal that the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari
and AGF, Abubakar Malami, have collected $500 million as bribe from the current
board of the NDDC to elongate their tenure. We are therefore calling on
President Muhammdu Buhari to intervene and do the right thing because millions
of dollars have been exchanged between the Chief of Staff and some other
persons in the Presidency to ensure that this current board's tenure is
extended thereby truncating the rotational arrangement according to Section 4
of the NDDC Act, which provided for the rotation of chairmanship of the board
as between “member states”.
The coalition said it had seen a hurriedly released letter
signed by the Permanent Secretary, in the Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Dayo Apata denying any tenure elongation for the
present governing board, saying the denial was wrong.
The ENDC said, "Sir, please this fraud should not be
allowed to stay a day longer because of the consequences it would bequeath on
the region.
The peaceful co-existence among tribes and ethnic
nationalities would be shaken to its foundation and rather replaced by mistrust
and mutual suspicion- an invitation to breakdown of law and order.
"At this point may we humbly ask: Is this elongation
plan a kudos to Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and Nsima Ekere for their effective
implementation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master plan? Is it on
grounds of high prudent financial management? Is it on their competence or
what?
"We actually thought Nsima Ekere should be explaining
to the anti-corruption agencies how he renovated just the MD’s office at a
whooping N400 million. Or how the present board spent over N65 million on
emergency repairs without adherence to the Procurement Act.
"This present board of the NDDC is the most inept,
corrupt, divisive, slow and uninspiring. No wonder the board is popularly
referred to as “10% board”.
We posit therefore that the present leadership of the NDDC
be terminated not later than the 15th day of December, 2017. A stitch in time
saves nine."
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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