By Mustapha Baba

SIR: I was bewildered by the preposterous appeal made by the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, on the presidency for more funds for activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).  Even if the 13% oil derivation fund to the NDDC is increased to 50%, it will neither produce the desired effects nor change the gruesome narratives of underdevelopment, abject poverty and untold plight of the innocent impoverished inhabitants of the Niger Delta, unless the NDDC officials, state governors and traditional leaders and political Buddhists of the region change their demeanours. To be frank, the so-called breakdown of the NDDC is bred by cancerous corruption.

The 13% derivation is undoubtedly enough for transforming the lives of the poor people of the region through provision of roads, jetties, waterways, health and other socio-economic infrastructure but unfortunately, the huge funds are being diverted to service the prodigal and frivolous lifestyles of a circle of gluttonous individuals. Since the return to democracy in 1999 to 2018, more than N44 trillion is estimated to have gone into the cesspools of corruption of the leaders who treated the huge funds as their inherited estates.

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Prior to the discovery of oil in 1956, the people of the Niger Delta were fishermen and subsistence farmers capable of feeding themselves. But today, they are being suffocated by the unemployment and extreme starvation as a result of environmental degradation, soil erosion, flooding, loss of mangrove forest, depletion of fishes’ population among others. Had the N44 trillion been wisely utilized, the region would have seen massive transformation like Dubai. It is heart-rending to see nothing tangible on the ground for the huge funds.

I totally concur with the recent appeal by the national director of media and publicity of the Host Communities of Nigeria’s (HOSCON), Okakura Monday Whiskey, in which he called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pay their regions’ 13% derivation directly to the host communities, through the proposed Presidential Derivation Committee (PDC) and States Implementation Committee (SIC).

Whereas the NDDC officials, governors and traditional rulers of the region do not require any preachments from anyone, they should however be reminded that our Lord never slumbers nor sleep and His eyes are always open. Each one of us will depart this world single as he was born single. So, every leader will undoubtedly be questioned and interrogated about the leadership’s responsibilities placed on their shoulders.

I strongly call on patriotic organizations of the Niger Delta like HOSCOM, to come together to liberate the innocent suffering inhabitants of the region. Before the advent of oil ends, the loss healthy agricultural land of the region must be restored and resuscitated.

• Mustapha Baba, Azare, Bauchi State.