Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt
SOME Southsouth stakeholders have opposed a plan by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to disburse N1billion to the nine states in the region to enable them to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.
The stakeholders, under the auspices of the Youth Leaders of Ethnic Nationalities in Niger Delta (YLENND), said it was a misplaced priority for NDDC to be thinking of disbursing such a huge amount of amid elementary developmental challenges in the region.
The National Coordinator, YLENND, Imo Okoko, said in a statement that NDDC should rather deploy the money to provide potable water in riverine communities.
Okoko said many communities in the region were in dire need of hospitals and schools.
He said: “Our concern is that if NDDC has this money to donate for a disease that some states in the Niger Delta have not recorded any case, why can’t they use that money to give potable water to the riverine communities? These communities also need hospitals and schools.
“People die every day in these communities because they don’t have access to good water, healthcare and even light.
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“We commend President Muhammed Buhari for his efforts in tackling COVID-19. He did well. We also thank people like Aliko Dangote and others who donated billions of naira to fight the disease.”
Okoko said the North East Development Commission (NEDC) had not made any financial pledge to fight Coronavirus and wondered why the NDDC was planning to give money meant for a purpose to the governors in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “The Niger Delta state governors should be blamed for the underdevelopment of the region. Did the NDDC ask the governors what they have been doing with the 13 per cent derivation given to them by the Federal Government?
“Did it also ask the governors what they have been doing with local government allocations, which the governors collect and render the local governments useless?
“It is only in three of the Niger Delta states that we can say that the governors have tried. These states are Edo, Delta and Rivers. Did NDDC ask the governors about the royalties paid to them by oil companies?
“Instead of NDDC to face their primary responsibilities, they want to use the money for another purpose. It is very sad. Money has already been released for the Federal Government of Nigeria and others for the purpose of fighting COVID-19. The Federal Government has not said that this money will be used for only Abuja and Lagos.
“Then the NDDC is denying the Niger Delta people their right and delving into an area that has already been handled by the Federal Government.
“We want to warn the Acting Managing Director to desist from giving out funds meant for the development of the Niger Delta. If he does that, we will have no other option than to protest. We will also lock the NDDC up.
“We will also call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to properly investigate what is going on in NDDC because billions of naira have been released to the NDDC, but they were mismanaged and diverted into a personal purse.
“The current acting MD should avoid that. If he must do anything about COVID-19, let him buy rice and distribute it to people that are already sitting at home in the oil-producing communities.
“People in rural areas are dying of malaria every day; people are dying on the road every day because the roads are terrible. If the Federal Government is already tackling COVID-19, NDDC should concentrate and do other things.
“We want the Acting MD to stay away from COVID-19 and allow the President to do his job. The governors have allocations and they have monies they can use to fight the disease. He should stop sharing the NDDC funds to the state governors.”
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