A group, Niger Delta Network (NDN) has declared that the recent announcement of termination of unexecuted contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Commission (NDDC) is part of expected outcomes from President Muhammadu Buhari’s reforms of the commission.
According to the group, the move has the potentials to tremendously impact the development of the Niger Delta region.
In a statement by its director of communications, John Douglas, the group noted that aside the well publicized forensic audit, Buhari has instituted other far reaching reforms in the NDDC through the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
The NDC also commended the president for his great initiatives to sanitize and reequip the NDDC to achieve its mandate with renewed vigor.
The group said: “Within a couple of months, there has been significant reforms both at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with seeable improvement in organization and responsiveness of these institutions toward fulfilling their mandate in the region.
”In view of this, as a good governance and public accountability group, we commend Mr. President for the political will to turn around the fortunes of Niger Delta people, by bring about needed reforms to operations of the interventionist agency and infusing productive energy into the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
”It is worthy of note that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is executing the ministerial action plan to the letter without fanfare but with transparency and dogged adherence to the President’s directives irrespective of whose ox is gored.
”In the same vein, we note with pride the new lease of life brought into the Commission by the newly appointed Acting Managing Director, Engineer Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua. The synergistic chemistry and collaboration between the Ministry and Commission is what the region needs for rapid development.
”Less we forget, ongoing reforms of the NDDC was top priority on the demands of Niger Deltans as expressed through their representatives, first the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) and then the governors of the nine states of the region. We asked for an audit of the interventionist agency with a clear intention to know what it has used trillions of Naira sunk into it since inception for.
”The President obliged our request and instituted a forensic audit which was completed and report submitted. Apparently, the current holistic reforms in the NDDC stems out of recommendations of that forensic audit. We should therefore embrace the outcome of these reforms and support the administration which is simply doing the will of the people.”
”We call on President Mohammadu Buhari to remain resolute in seeing through the ongoing reforms of NDDC and ignore drumbeats of war by self-styled freedom fighters who do not mean well for our people.
”We charge the minister, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, to keep on doing his best in a bid to bring lasting reforms to NDDC and holistic development to the region.
”We also enjoin the result oriented Acting MD of NDDC, Engineer Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, to stay on course in this patriotic fight to rid the Commission of unproductive entanglements that impede development.
”It is our honest belief that Mr. President is determined to execute all his plans for the Niger Delta region and put in place policies to safeguard and sustain his legacies before he finally exit office on May 29, 2023.”