Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt
Niger Delta ex-militants have vowed to confront detractors in the region plotting to derail the ongoing forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ex-militants insisted that the barrage of unfounded allegations against the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission were being sponsored by enemies of the region to frustrate the audit.
They lauded Buhari for his foresight in insisting on the forensic audit and extending the tenure of the IMC led by Prof. Keme Pondei, despite the efforts of the detractors to frustrate the process.
The ex-agitators under the auspices of the 21st Century Youths of the Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC), said the perennial enemies of the region wanted the old order to continue at the expense of the region’s development.
The Leader of group and self-styled general, Izon Ebi, in a statement on Thursday said any attempt to truncate the ongoing forensic audit spearheaded by Pondei and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio would lead to fresh unrest in the region.
Ebi said: “It is often said that when a cacophony of voices systematically challenge the operation of a new leader, most often, is not doing business as usual, and is most likely working to change the status quo for the better.
“We the 21st CYNDAC have come to the obvious conclusion that the perennial enemies of the Niger Delta who feed fat, of the NDDC, at the expense of the development of the region and her people, are at dagger drawn to truncate the positive momentum of the IMC, through blackmail, unsubstantiated and bogus allegation and outright falsehood.
“We warn that the forensic audit of the commission must not be truncated. Those who have connived to loot our commonwealth must be brought to book. Any attempt at truncating the audit we are afraid would trigger another round of unrest and upheaval, since we as the 21st CYNDAC will hold the known enemies of the Niger Delta responsible.
“We laud the wisdom and foresight of President Muhammadu Buhai GCFR and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio on their choice of a tested technocrat Professor Keme Pondei as the head of the IMC of the NDDC.
“We are further gladdened that God’s will was clearly done by the extension of the tenure of the IMC to December 2020. Clearly, an era of uncommon development and service to the yearning people of the Niger Delta has dawned”.
He said the Ijaw being the fourth largest ethnic nationality should not be taken for granted in the affairs of the region adding that by the rotational principle in the NDDC Act, it was the turn of Bayelsa state to produce the next MD of the NDDC.
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“We are certain that by the end of the present IMC tenure, it will not be a difficult decision to confirm Prof. Keme Pondei as the substantive MD of the NDDC. It is our desired expectation that the necessary framework for the advisory role of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to the NDDC would have been put in place as well”, he said.
Ebi, however, appealed to Akpabio to to prevail on the NDDC to pay small contractors, who borrowed money from banks to execute verifiable projects, to rescue them from penury.
He said: “We appeal to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to impress on the commission to pay indigenous contractors, whose jobs have been completed and duly verified.
“These small artisans and contractors borrowed money from the bank and other sources to finance these projects and the NDDC has taken over these projects and are reaping the socio-capital benefits therein.
“It is gross wickedness for the commission to send these indigenous contractors to penury by owing them small monies of less than N20million but paying big contractors in the billions because of kickback as alluded by its detractors.
“The continued owing of these contractors is eroding the political and socio-capital of the minister and the interim management of the commission. We implore the uncommon minister to do the needful to give more traction to this positive stride in the commission.
“The 21st century youths of the Niger Delta and agitators with conscience appeal to every well-meaning Niger Deltan to support the Minister of Niger Delta affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio and the interim management committee of the NDDC headed by Professor Keme Pondei in cleaning out the augean stable and perfecting the sterling job they are doing. Corruption and the enemies of the Niger Delta are fighting back but the region and are people will always prevail.
“We have been at the forefront of fearless agitation for our Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general. We have watched and stridently agitated against the decades of wanton waste and high corruption that has stained the NDDC, thus preventing the commission from living up to her original intended mandate of uplifting the socio-economical and infrastructural deficiency of the region and her people.
“The inauguration of the presently constituted interim management of the NDDC led by Prof. Keme Pondei has been a break from the norm and a positive beacon of hope that lax and corrupt institutional processes will be corrected. The forensic audit kick-started, recently along with the contract verification and staff reorientation and enlightenment will usher in a new dawn of performance and promise.”
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