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Tag: NDDC

  • NDDC: New board apt for audit

    By Femi Macaulay

    Perhaps unwittingly, President Muhammadu Buhari complicated the situation at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by ordering a forensic audit of the agency’s operations from 2001 to 2019 when the agency’s new board has not been confirmed by the Senate.

    Buhari’s move to deal with the NDDC’s failure is a step in the right direction. However, in order to get the desired result, the ordered audit should logically be carried out under the new 16-man NDDC board Buhari approved in August. Subject to Senate confirmation, Buhari had approved Dr Pius Odubu from Edo State as chairman, Bernard Okumagba from Delta State as Managing Director, and Otobong Ndem from Akwa Ibom as Executive Director, Projects.

    The delay in confirming the newly composed Governing Board is counterproductive. If the purpose of the ordered audit is to get to the bottom of the NDDC’s failure, despite the rich funding it has enjoyed for almost 20 years, then the best approach is to have the probe done under a new management. Obviously, it doesn’t make sense to carry out the ordered audit under the interim management headed by Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, who had been directed to hand over to the most senior director in the Commission.

    There is no doubt that the NDDC, established in 2000 by the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, has failed to develop Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta.   The first commercial oil discovery in the country happened in Oloibiri in present-day Bayelsa State, in 1956; and the first oil field began production in 1958. More than six decades later, the story of underdevelopment in the Niger Delta is a continuing story.  Nigeria is said to produce about 2.5 million barrels of crude oil daily. The country is the largest producer of oil in Africa and sixth largest in the world. The country’s oil-producing states are: Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ondo, Edo, Imo and Abia.

    It is inexcusable that many communities in the region that produces the country’s oil wealth reflect not only a lack of prosperity, but also perplexing poverty. Buhari, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, apologised for the bad governance responsible for the region’s underdevelopment   during the reopening of Oil Mining Lease (OML)-25 facility in coastal Belema in Kula Kingdom, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, on October 10, more than two years after a shocking protest, involving women and children, had stopped activities at the site.

    Buhari said: “We have been to the communities (in Kula Kingdom). I felt touched that the people were asking for schools, hospitals and potable water in 2019, after 40 years of oil and gas being taken from their soils. I scooped water from the pond that the people drink. It was smeared with crude oil.

    “On behalf of the nation, I apologise to you. We will change for the better. We will not only build schools, hospitals and provide potable water for you; we will provide complete communities for you. We will work with the Rivers State government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), amnesty office and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.”

    Buhari’s apology and promise will be meaningful when they translate into action. By ordering a forensic audit of the NDDC’s operations, Buhari showed that he means business. Buhari was quoted as saying on October 17, after a meeting with governors of the nine oil-producing states that make up the Niger Delta:  “I try to follow the Act setting up these institutions especially the NDDC. With the amount of money that the Federal Government has religiously allocated to the NDDC, we will like to see the results on the ground; those that are responsible for that have to explain certain issues.

    “The projects said to have been done must be verifiable. You just cannot say you spent so much billions and when the place is visited, one cannot see the structures that have been done. The consultants must also prove that they are competent.”

    This may well be a sign that the administration’s anti-corruption campaign has finally reached the NDDC. Ironically, the NDDC may well be among those responsible for the region’s underdevelopment. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, was quoted as saying:  “Let us be clear on this, it will not be business as usual; it will be business unusual as the present leadership would not tolerate persistent underdevelopment of the region. We have become a laughing stock as people now say we (Niger Deltans) are the ones responsible for the underdevelopment of the region. The NDDC is seen as a conduit for empowering the pockets of politicians and hangers-on. We will not do things the way we used to do it. The minister will exercise the powers of the President, not just to supervise the NDDC, but to control its affairs.”

    Akpabio lamented that “for over 20 years, NDDC could not complete its headquarters. It is disheartening NDDC has been paying over N200 million every year as rent…It is shameful that in the nine states of the Niger Delta, NDDC failed to have one legacy project, such as a specialist hospital.”

    It is noteworthy that the Senate has summoned the NDDC’s Acting Managing Director, Dr Enyia Akwagaga, who is expected to appear before the Committee on Public Accounts this week. The committee’s chairman, Matthew Urhoghide, said: “We want to ascertain if due processes were followed in the award of these contracts, particularly the information that we have at our disposal that they exceeded budget limits. What we know is that N2.5 billion was budgeted for the desilting and clearing of water hyacinths. We heard that the Commission has spent over N 65billion. This committee is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that there are transparency, accountability and economy, that is, there is value for money.”

    This investigation, for instance, is one of the reasons the ordered audit should not be done under the interim management. The new properly constituted substantive board approved by Buhari has the advantage of being uninvolved. Such detachment is an important requirement in carrying out a credible forensic audit.

    The Senate should confirm the new NDDC board without further delay, which will enable the board to urgently implement the presidential order to audit the Commission’s operations.

  • Edo, NDDC fight over ‘shoddy jobs’

    There seems to be strained relationship between the Edo State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Emergency road projects appear to be the bone of contention, writes OSAGIE OTABOR

    The relationship between the Edo State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has not been cordial since Governor Godwin Obaseki assumed office in Edo State. The strained relationship is connected to the shoddy and sub-standard jobs executed by the NDDC contractors.

    Few months after Obaseki assumed office, he paid an unscheduled visit to some road projects being executed by the NDDC in the state. Obaseki was peeved that the contractors’ jobs were shoddy and the drainage were not linked to any primary drain. This, the governor observed, would make the water stagnant in the drains and make the road easily damaged.

    Obaseki directed the NDDC contractors handling various road projects in the state to stop work immediately. He said the NDDC would not be allowed to execute any projects in the state without meeting the state’s specifications and designs.

    The NDDC contractors were given seven days to submit the design drawings, Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation of their respective projects to the State Ministry of Works.

    After some grey issues were resolved, NDDC resumed construction and rehabilitation of roads in the state. Governor Obaseki entered tripartite agreement with the NDDC and the Edo State Oil and Gas Development Commission (EDSOPADEC) on the repair of the Benin-Abraka Road. The NDDC was to pay 40 per cent of the fund. Construction work has commenced on the Benin-Abraka Road and the NDDC is yet to meet its obligation.

    Crack re-emerged in the relationship between Edo government and the NDDC over who was responsible for the massive repairs and construction of many internal roads in Benin-City and its environs.

    When agents of Obaseki listed roads constructed by the administration, those opposed to second term coming of Obaseki were quick to point out that majority of the roads were constructed by the NDDC but there were counter-arguments that under previous administrations, the NDDC did not execute much projects as it is doing under Obaseki. Former Edo NDDC Commissioner, Hon Saturday Uwuilekhue, published list of roads executed by the NDDC apparently to out a lie to claims by agents of Edo Government.

    However, many of the newly constructed and rehabilitated roads were washed away by heavy rains and developed potholes. Obaseki’s administration was criticised for constructing poor roads. The Apostolic Street in Bénin-City that was just asphalted was washed away and houses in the street were flooded.

    Some roads such as the College Road, Joromi Street, Aiguobasimwin and others recently reconstructed by the NDDC have developed potholes.

    Last week when the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on abandoned NDDC projects visited Edo State, Governor Obaseki opened up on his reservation for the NDDC and why probe into its activities should commence. Obaseki stated that the N20 billion emergency funds allegedly expended by the NDDC on projects in the state in the last six months must be probed.

    Governor Obaseki said his administration was exploring the option of suing contractors handling the Commission’s projects for delivering sub-standard projects, which caused flooding in parts of the state.

    Obaseki, who reiterated his desire to stop NDDC contractors from executing sub-standard projects said there was need for synergy between the state government and the NDDC in delivering quality projects.

    He faulted claims by the interim management of the NDDC that the sum of N256 billion was spent on emergency project work, out of which N20 billion was spent in Edo State in the last six months.

    “This kind of action is embarrassing to our administration and causing us political problems as our citizens are confused about the roads we are constructing and the sub-standard roads executed by NDDC contractors.

    “I have instructed the state’s Solicitor-General to begin the process to take legal action against NDDC contractors, who execute sub-standard work in the state, particularly the contractor who handled the project on Apostolic Street off Sokponba Road, which led to flooding in the area. We will blacklist them.

    “I am surprised that the NDDC management is here as I invited them months ago when I received complaints about the quality of work done by their contractors but they ignored the invitation. There is no need having NDDC in the state when they have total disregard for the state government.

    “A year ago, barely 10 per cent of the NDDC budget for Edo State was implemented. The immediate past interim management team of the NDDC needs to come and show us how they spent N20 billion in the state.

    “Beyond what the House Committee is doing, there must be a judicial enquiry into the activities of the NDDC. People must go to jail for their corrupt acts. The 13 per cent derivation fund collected from oil-producing communities that was supposed to be used for the development of the region has not been spent by NDDC.

    “We have registered our displeasure on NDDC projects in Edo State and contest the claims of their spending N20 billion in the state for emergency work. We signed a tripartite agreement with NDDC. They were supposed to commit 40 per cent while the state provides 60 per cent. We opened an account but they didn’t remit one kobo into it,” he noted.

    Speaking during inspection of NDDC projects in Edo State by the Ad hoc Committee, Governor Obaseki said the NDDC and its contractors must pay compensation for victims whose properties were affected by flooding at the Apostolic Street.

    He said: “The contractor did the asphalt work on the road without taking into consideration the fact that there were manholes to channel water in the area. When the community advised the contractor not to block the manholes, he disregarded the complaints and blocked them. You can see the devastation that it has caused?

    “We are holding the NDDC and the contractor liable and we will take legal actions to ensure they compensate the victims affected.

    “The NDDC was supposed to contribute 40 per cent, while the state government and its agency would contribute the remaining 60 per cent to the Benin-Abraka Road project but the commission reneged on the agreement.

    “The state government has commenced work on the road and it will be completed with or without NDDC’s counterpart fund because the NDDC is grossly mismanaged.”

    Leader of the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee, Hon. Sergius Ogun, stated that they were in the state to investigate abandoned NDDC projects.

    Ogun, who expressed disappointment with the number of NDDC abandoned projects in Edo State, said some projects awarded since 2012 could not be accounted for anywhere in the state.

    “It is obvious that NDDC has not partnered with the state government. We are talking about projects awarded by NDDC in 2012. Seven years after, we cannot see any visible projects. These are some of the things we will take back to Abuja.”

    Uwulekhue berated the Ad-hoc Committee and Governor Obaseki for making what he termed unfounded allegations without asking relevant questions.

    Uwulekhue said he attracted projects worth N20 billion to the state but the money was not paid to contractors as it was the NDDC policy not to mobilise contractors to site.

    He said contractors must finish their jobs and certificate issued before payments are made.

    On why the NDDC did not fund Benin-Abraka Road project, Uwulekhue stated that the contractor should show evidence of job done before money would be released.

    His words: “People are talking without reading the NDDC Act. Once you bid for job, you go to site with your own money at your own risk. If our engineers did not certify the jobs as good, we will not pay.

    “Any NDDC contractor that does substandard jobs will not be paid as files go through 43 offices before payments are made. NDDC cannot go to Treasury Single Account (TSA) account and make payment anyhow.

    “I did my best to attract N20 billion projects but the question is whether the money was released. The Ad-hoc Committee does not have any information. They are just making noise. A right thinking person will not talk like that.”

  • Row over appointment of Ondo NDDC Commissioner

    A group, the Ondo South Mandate Group (OSMG) on Saturday kicked against the nomination of the  Chairman, Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission(OSOPADEC) Gbenga Edema as new Commissioner representing the State on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission. (NDDC).

    The group comprising All Progressives Congress (APC) members, Oil Producing Communities and leaders of Ondo South Senatorial district said the nomination of Edema was fraught with irregularities.

    A statement by the group’s Chairman and Secretary of (OSMG), Benson Odoro and Ayesa Adebambo, said since Edema is the Chairman, Ondo State Oil Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), another person should have been nominated as the NDDC Commissioner.

    Besides, the group said the appointment of Edema as OSOPADEC Boss by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was illegal, saying “he is not from the core oil-producing community in Ilaje Local Government Area of the State”

    The group which vowed to mobilize against Edema and the APC if President Muhammadu Buhari refused to rescind his decision on Edema said the oil-producing communities in the Ilaje cannot continue to be marginalized by the government

    They said  “Oil Communities in Ondo South Say No  to Gbenga Edema and that Oil Producing Communities Demand for their Mandate from the APC.

    Read Also: NDDC gets acting MD, calls on Niger Deltans to work together

    The statement said; “Government has singlehandedly imposed Edema and we are baffled because he is not from the oil-producing community. In the history of Ondo State, this has never happened but this decision is detrimental to our destiny because it is an injury to the entire Ugbo kingdom.

    “Edema is from Mahin which is not oil-producing communities. Since the inception of NDDC, it is people of Ugbo extraction that have been made NDDC Commissioner because they are the only oil-producing communities.

    “When Akeredolu made Edema the Chairman of OSOPADEC, we took it with a pinch of salt. It has now gone to the ridiculous level that he has been made the Ondo State representative on the board of NDDC.

    “This is a clear injustice on the part of the goose that lays the egg that made the state an oil-producing state.”

    The group said” We have it on good authority that Edema did not have the blessing of the Governor and APC leadership before he got the nomination into the board of NDDC, he simply used OSOPADEC  funds to achieve his personal agenda of becoming Ondo State Representative on the board of NDDC.”

    The group alleged that Edema has been lobbying to become the MD of NDDC but stronger interests from above took away that interest from him which now made him edge out former Ondo Representative on the board, Mr. Lucky Ayedatiwa from the board and took over his seat.

    The group pleaded with the Senate of the Federal Republic to reject the nomination of Edema in order to save the South Senatorial district from around round of crisis emanating from the nomination of someone who is not qualified for the position.

  • ‘Shell JV, SNEPCo have paid $2b to NDDC’

    The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and its co-venture partners have contributed $2 billion to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    The Media Relations Manager, Shell Nigeria, Bamidele Odugbesan, stated this while reacting to the allegation that the oil giant was among the 50 oil firms that owe the NDDC.

    Shell was named among the oil companies that owe the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Some oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region owe the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) N1.2 trillion due to their failure to pay their dues to the commission.

    The Principal Partner, Paris Trust Limited, Timothy Bagwams, who said his firm was authorised by the NDDC to serve letters to the defaulting oil companies that owe the Commission, noted that Shell was among the defaulters.Oil companies in Nigeria statutorily are mandated to pay three per cent of their annual budget to the Commission. However, Bagwams stated that  the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), National Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Chevron, Shell, Agip, Pan Ocean oil, Petrobras, Seplat, Moni Pulo Petroleum Development, South Atlantic Petroleum and Slumberger, among others, owe the commission.

    According to the Bagwams, since 2015, the majority of the oil companies have failed to remit the statutory three per cent to the Commission, which affects the efficient operation of the Commission and the development of the Niger Delta region.

    Shell’s spokesperson Odugbesan said the company is current in payment of its dues to NDDC. He said: “The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) is up to date in the payment of all levies payable to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in compliance with the NDDC Act.

    “SPDC’s remittance till the end of 2018 has been acknowledged and signed off by NDDC. We are awaiting NDDC’s receipts for payments from January to June 2019. SPDC, therefore, has no outstanding sums due and owing to the NDDC up to June 2019, and we have communicated this to the commission in response to their demand notice.”

    Odugbesan also stated that between the inception of NDDC in 2002 and the end of 2018, SPDC JV parties, SNEPCo and its co-venture partners contributed $2 billion to the NDDC.

    The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of NNPC, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in his reaction, confirmed that the Corporation owes NDDC. However, he stated that NNPC has started the repayment some months ago.

    He said: “There is nothing wrong in being indebted to someone or an organisation. We are indebted to NDDC, but we have reached an agreement with them (NDDC) on repayment and we have started the repayment few months ago.”

    Bagwams reiterated that Section 14(2)(b) of the NDDC Act, 2014 stipulates that three per cent of the total annual budget of any oil producing company operating onshore and offshore the Niger Delta region including gas processing companies shall be paid and credited to the fund established by the NDDC for the defrayal of all expenditure.

    “But as I speak with you, the companies are owing NDDC more than N1.2 trillion, and this is why the Commission is achieving little in addressing the developmental needs of the region,” he said, adding that Paris Trust Limited is undertaking the facilitation and payment of the debts owed NDDC by oil firms and would be left with no option than to resort to legal action if at the end of a seven-day ultimatum the oil companies fail to make the remittances.

  • ‘NDDC committed to delivering quality projects’

    Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Prof. Nelson Brambaifa has said the commission is committed to delivering quality projects in the Niger Delta. He promised that standards will not be compromised.

    A statement on Sunday by NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said Brambaifa gave the assurance at the inauguration of a new road in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) Layout Extension in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    According to him, the commission would continue to execute projects that would positively impact the people’s lives.

    Brambaifa was accompanied by the Bayelsa State Coordinator Francis Kolokoro; Director of Bayelsa Office Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, and others.

    Read Also: Dickson to Brambaifa: NDDC diverting project money to fund elections

    According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari deserved praise for the increasing number of completed projects in the region. He urged stakeholders’ to hail President Buhari for supporting the accelerated execution of development projects, by ensuring that funds were made available for NDDC to carry out its mandate.

    The NDDC chief, who admonished the people to support the Federal Government, also praised them for their peaceful conducts when projects were being executed in their areas.

    He urged them to sue for peace, stressing that development would be impossible chaos.

    Brambaifa said: “Peace is very important in order to assist the government in spreading development in the Niger Delta.”

    The NDDC chief noted that the road would serve the residents well as it would enhance their businesses and social activities.

    He said: “This is a sign of better things to come. More projects will be launched in the days and weeks ahead.”

    The NDDC team earlier visited Governor Seriake Dickson, who called for greater collaboration in the design and execution of projects by the commission, and urged NDDC to focus more on big-ticket projects.

  • NDDC plans ferry services, jetties in Niger Delta communities

    NDDC plans ferry services, jetties in Niger Delta communities

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it will construct jetties and provide safe ferry services in communities not connected by roads in the region.

    The Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, made the disclosure at the inauguration of Abitto Luxury and Maritime Safety Boat in Calabar on Saturday.

    Ogbuku, who described the Abitto ferry services as a game-changer in transportation business, said that NDDC would partner the group to connect communities in the region.

    He noted that the partnership would provide safe means of transportation in the communities and stimulate their local economy.

    “We have so many communities in the region that are not connected by roads, so we can collaborate with Abitto to extend these services to them

    “For the Niger Delta to develop, we will not wait for foreigners, we shall use what we have to stimulate our local economy,” he said.

    In his speech, the chairman of Abitto Global Services, Mr Richard Akinaka, said that the idea was to provide transportation services and reduce the travel time between Calabar and Uyo.

    “This is very important, especially against the background of the bad state of Calabar-Itu road.

    “We emerged as a result of the need to provide comfortable means of transportation and to create employment opportunities.

    “I am proud to announce that about 90 per cent of the entire infrastructure, including the boats were built by us here in Calabar,” he stated.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Senator representing Cross River South at the National Assembly, Asuquo Ekpenyong, said the ferry services would reduce the travel time between Calabar and Uyo to about 30 minutes.

    “With this, you are creating jobs and promoting commerce. This is clearly a good omen” he said.

    Ekpenyong said that it had become expedient to return to natural means of transportation owing to the depreciation on the roads.

    (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

  • ‘Delta should produce chairman, MD of NDDC’

    Youths of the Niger Delta have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint Board Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and its Managing Director from Delta State.

    The youths yesterday marched on the Warri office of the NDDC to present their demands.

    They were led by Eric Omare (President of the Ijaw Youths Council -IYC); Festus Otesiri (President of Urhobo Youths Council); Ovie Emuakpor (President of the Isoko National Youths Assembly); Weyinmi Agbateyinro (President of the Itsekiri National Youths Council -INYC), among others.

    The youths warned that attempts to bend existing statutory order of succession in the NDDC may negatively affect oil production.

    The protesters noted that by the existing order of succession in the board and management of the commission, Delta State is due to produce both the board chairman and managing director. According to the protesting youths, the offices are rotational; alphabetically among the four states with the highest quantum of production and alphabetically among the nine member states on the board of the NDDC.

    Read Also: NDDC hailed for completing N24b coastal road in Bayelsa

    “The NDDC was established in 2000, with a mandate to develop the Niger Delta. Under the NDDC Act, there is a provision for its board and the management committee. It is important to note that there’s a world of difference between the board and the management committee.

    “Whereas, when it comes to the board, all the states of the NDDC are entitled to be represented on the board, that is to say all the nine states have a right to be represented and have a right to produce the board chairman. But it is the right of the major oil producing states – Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom – to produce the Managing Director.

    “From 2001 to 2018, all the major oil producing have produced the MD, so it follows logically that the office will rotate from where it started, which is Delta. Beside, currently, Delta is the state with the highest quantum of production. We are not saying it because we are Deltans, but because it is the proper thing to do. If we don’t do what is proper, if we don’t follow the rule of law, we will be creating room for anarchy tomorrow.” the protesters explained.

  • Protesters urge Buhari to confirm NDDC’s Brambaifa

    Protesters at the weekend called on President Muhammadu Buhari to make the acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambaifa, a substantive boss of the commission. The demonstrators trekked kilometres to the office of the NDDC condemning series of anti-Brambaifa campaigns. They said despite sponsored campaigns against the NDDC management, Brambaifa had remained focused on his mission to actualise the vision of President Buhari in the Niger Delta.

    The leader of the protest and former security adviser in Bayelsa, Chief Perekeme Kpodo told the Coordinator of the NDDC, Francis Kolokolo, that the NDDC over the years failed in its mandate to develop the Niger Delta. He said: “But today we have a son from Bayelsa , who is professor Nelson Brambaifa, four months only, he has change the tide. There are roads everywhere. We have over 100 roads in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states. The fact is that Brambaifa from Bayelsa has come to ensure that these roads are put in good and motorable conditions. There is nobody from anywhere that can stop the planned development.

    “All those gimmicks they are doing outside Bayelsa are for selfish interest not for the interest of Bayelsans or the Niger Delta. So, we say we need Brambaifa to be confirmed and to continue so we can have the dividends of democracy. This is not party issue, we are talking about our development, look at our youths, since NDDC was created there is nothing to show but it is time to take the bull by the horn, let Brambaifa continue to actualise the President Buhari dream for the region”.

    Read Also: Ondo deputy governor denies lobbying for NDDC’s MD job

    In his remarks, the President Attisa Youth Council, Richard Giani, appealed to Buhari to confirm Brambaifa following his performance in office. “My point here is very simple, for four months now that Brambaifa has been the acting MD of NDDC, we can see the giant’s strides; roads are everywhere, even the waterways are calm, he is tackling security issues. What his predecessors couldn’t do, he did it. So, we are calling on President Buhari to use his good office to make Nelson Brambaifa the substantive NDDC MD”, he said.

    On his part, a one-time Chairman of the Central Zone of the Ijaw Youths Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, said for the interest of the peace in the region, the Ijaw should rise and support Branbaifa. He said: “We are now using this platform to send a message through the coordinator of the NDDC to the federal government that the confirmation of professor Brambaifa is in the right direction and in the best interest of our region. There is no politics in this. We do believe that Brambaifa can work with almost everybody in the Niger Delta region. So, I believe that given the opportunity for him to be confirmed as the MD of NDDC, can only improve the well-being and the life styles of the Niger Delta people and I can assure you that peace will improve”.

  • Ex-militant ‘Generals’ in Niger Delta demand sack of acting MD of NDDC

    Former militant ‘generals’ in the Niger Delta, under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, have demanded the sack of the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Nelson Brambaifa.

    They also declared their lack of confidence in the ability of Brambaifa to salvage the Federal Government’s interventionist agency (NDDC). The ex-warlords resolved to lead a campaign against Brambaifa’s confirmation as the substantive managing director of the commission, while urging President Muhammadu Buhari to sack him forthwith and replace him with another Niger Deltan with the interest of the region at heart.

    The ex-militant generals, through their leader, Pastor Reuben Wilson, in an online statement yesterday alleged that Brambaifa had shown lack of capacity to pilot the affairs of the Niger Delta, claiming that he was more interested in developing himself than the development of the region.

    The former freedom fighters indicated that in the next few days, they would begin the process of a peaceful protest to register their grievances against the acting managing director of NDDC.

    They described as unfortunate, the alleged decision by Brambaifa, an indigene of Bayelsa State, to shut his doors to genuine critical stakeholders from the state who were desirous of drawing his attention to developmental challenges in the state and other parts of the region. The ex-warlords said: “We are not happy with Prof. Brambaifa’s style. He is not trying and we have agreed on getting in touch with Mr President and all security agencies on this matter. He has to go.

    Read also: IYC to Buhari: make Brambaifa substantive NDDC boss

    “We have reviewed activities in the NDDC since Prof. Brambaifa took over and we have concluded that if we allow things to go on like this, there will be crisis. We put our lives on the line some years back, because we wanted a better deal for the Niger Delta. “Prof. Brambaifa was answering calls whenever we called, when he was the representative of Bayelsa State on the board of NDDC. He was always blaming the former Managing Director, Nsima Ekere, for the lack of projects in Bayelsa State.” In his reaction, the Director, Corporate Affairs of NDDC, Charles Odili, described the commission’s acting managing director as a leader that was determined to bring succour to the teeming youths of the region.

    Odili said: “Prof. Brambaifa has displayed a magnanimous approach in dealing with youths’ matters in the past four months. On assumption of office in February this year, he revived the comatose Water Hyacinth Youth Empowerment Programme. A lot of youths have benefited and the process is still on course. “The 2019 budget dilemma has prevented him from carrying out other youth-related programmes. His doors are open and his friendly and most importantly,  fatherly disposition , mark’s him out as a leader, determined to bring succour to the teeming youths of the Niger Delta region.”

  • Rivers, NDDC bicker over alleged N50b tax debt

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2,000 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration to resuscitate the hitherto neglected oil-rich region that has mainly sustained Nigeria’s economy.

    Some of the objectives for which the NDDC was established were to facilitate the rapid, even and sustainable development of the Niger Delta in a bid to transform it into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful.

    Some of the commission’s core mandates include the formulation of policies and programmes for the development of the Niger Delta in the areas of transportation, health, employment, industrialisation, agriculture, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and telecommunications.

    The mandates also include survey of the Niger Delta in order to ascertain measures necessary to promote its physical and socio-economic development, preparing master plans and schemes designed to promote the physical development of the Niger Delta region as well as assist the member states in the formulation and implementation of policies to ensure efficient management of resources.

    Niger Delta region comprises nine states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Abia and Imo. The corporate headquarters of the NDDC is located at No. 167, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

    On April 23, the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS) sealed off the corporate headquarters of NDDC in Port Harcourt, over alleged N50 billion tax debts. As at the time of filing this report, the NDDC office is still sealed.

    The Chairman of RIRS, Adoage Norteh, insisted that the NDDC’s head office was sealed off because the commission refused to make its financial records available for audit.

    He said: “The place (NDDC’s corporate headquarters) is sealed off. We got a court order to seal off the place. We went to court and we stated that we were frustrated by the antics of NDDC’s officials. The commission was assessed last year, with officials of the agency admitting that NDDC was indebted to RIRS to the tune of N671 million, which they refused to pay.

    “When we sealed off the NDDC’s office last year, they then paid the debt. We told officials of the agency that we were going to audit their books, but since last year, they refused to allow us have access to their books.

    “The N50 billion that is being talked about is our best of judgment. That is the amount we assessed, because NDDC’s officials refused to open their books. If they have nothing to hide, why would they not show us their records? For many years, these people have refused to open their books.”

    Norteh also expressed optimism that the disagreement would soon be resolved.

    He said: “We are talking with them now. They are asking that we should come and do the audit and that whatever we come up with, they will pay. I am reluctant, because we have gone beyond that process. We have gotten a court order.

    “We would not have gone to court, if they had done the needful. If they said it is not N50 billion, they should tell us how much they awe. We are not interested in sentiments, we are interested in the records.”

    The Director, Corporate Affairs of NDDC, Charles Odili, however, declared that the commission was not owing RIRS to the tune of N50 billion.

    He said: “NDDC as a responsible corporate organisation, wishes to state clearly that it has not defaulted in meeting its tax obligations to RIRS. The commission is surprised that the state revenue agency is claiming an outstanding N50 billion. Our records show that this is not correct. It is rather curious that the RIRS would rush to seal the gates of the commission, disrupting activities at its headquarters, without any form of notification.

    “We have had cause to discuss our tax obligations with officials of the RIRS in the past and all the grey areas were resolved amicably. It is, therefore, an act of bad faith for the revenue agency to begin to take actions that impugn the reputation of an interventionist agency that is serving the people of the Niger Delta region. The commission has, as recently as January this year, settled its outstanding tax obligations to the RIRS.

    “We have cleared all Withholding Tax (WHT) on enterprises and Pay as You Earn (P.A.Y.E.) up to March, 2019, including arrears. If there is any other issue of outstanding tax obligation (underpayment), it will only come up after reconciliation.

    “Until then, we cannot establish or determine underpayment or overpayment. And our books are open for audit or reconciliation. It is not right for only one party to claim to have established that there is underpayment or overpayment. That can only come to play after a thorough audit exercise.

    “We can, under the circumstances, safely say that the RIRS came to seal off our premises without due process, as notice of non-compliance was neither issued nor served on NDDC, before the RIRS’ action.”

    Odili also called on RIRS to remove the sealing order at the main gate of the commission, to enable both parties to enter into a dialogue and resolve their differences.

    Responding, NDDC’s Director, Corporate Affairs also stated that there was no politics in the impasse involving the commission and RIRS.

    He said: “NDDC, as a responsible organisation, is mindful of its corporate social responsibilities and will, at all times, meet its legal financial obligations. This explains the stand of the commission on the issue at stake (sealing off of NDDC’s corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt).

    “The commission feels strongly that due process was not followed and thereby denying NDDC fair hearing, when the RIRS opted to surreptitiously procure an exparte order, instead of reaching for dialogue and peaceful resolution. The commission was also not served the court processes to enable it to defend itself. It is equally curious that the court order was obtained from a provincial division of the Rivers State High Court, sitting in Omoku.

    “As a Federal Government institution operating in Rivers State, the NDDC will always pursue the sacred creed of harmony and good conscience in its operational modalities.”

    Odili also gave an assurance that there were ongoing efforts to amicably resolve the matter, in the overall interest of the entire people of the Niger Delta.

    On April 29, Niger Delta women and youths peaceably protested in Port Harcourt against Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration’s sealing off of the corporate headquarters of the NDDC.

    Dressed in black, the protesters carried placards and banners with various inscriptions, even as they chanted anti-government songs.

    Some of the inscriptions on their placards and banners were: “N50 billion tax on NDDC is anti-people. We say no to it”, “NDDC is purely for development of Niger Delta region”, “Leave NDDC out of Rivers State politics”, “President Buhari, come and save us in Rivers”, “NDDC is touching lives, allow it be” and “PMB, save us from gangs and cultists” and “we say no to unnecessary political interference in the affairs of NDDC,” among others.

    In a chat with reporters, one of the protesters, Ronin Jaja, said the sealing off of NDDC’s corporate headquarters had brought untold hardship to most families in the Niger Delta region.

    Jaja said: “From the little businesses we do here, we are able to take care of our families. The development clock is ticking already; let no one delay the development of our region, because of politics.”

    Another protester, Degi Tekena, noted that the people of Bayelsa State were willing to host the NDDC’s corporate headquarters, if the government and people of Rivers State no longer needed the commission’s head office.

    Tekena said: “If Rivers State does not want to host NDDC again, please, we have a place for the commission in neighbouring Bayelsa State.

    “This is one of the commissions that have been living up to their expectations, especially in areas of training and retraining of our youths, creation of employment opportunities and other developmental programmes in the Niger Delta.”

    Tekena also stated that the parties should resolve the matter quickly to allow for smooth operations of NDDC, considering the commission’s numerous interventions in the Niger Delta region and its people.