‘We need a cleaner NDDC’

By Frank Ikpefan, Abuja

Ijaw Youth Consultative Forum has called on the people of Niger Delta region to support the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group noted that people of the region deserved a “cleaner NDDC, a better reforms.”

Its Chairman/CEO, Comrade Ebizimor Preye in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

The statement reads: “This article is not presented to discredit or disrespect anyone but to draw the attention of the Nigeria people and the Niger Delta indigene specifically to come together and support government efforts.

“If only we can all see the bigger picture of the ongoing forensic audit which is set up to strengthen transparency and accountability in the commission.

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“No doubt, this move is part of the President Muhammadu Buhari agenda to curb corruption in all sectors and promote accountability and good governance. We call on all Niger Deltans and Nigerians at large to support the ongoing audit of the NDDC and allow the interim Board to manage the affairs of the commission.

“Let the place be cleaned up, awaiting the new board. We need a cleaner NDDC, a better reforms. Let’s support Dr. Gbene Joi Nunieh-led interim Board for a Whole New Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) that will reposition and prioritise the development of the Niger Delta region.

He noted that the NDDC, right from the beginning, had suffered from a “lack of ownership.”

“Despite the formal existence of oversight mechanisms, corruption, transparency, lack of supervisory oversight, and the absence of performance evaluation guidelines essentially have also been major problems.

“There have been recurrent concerns about fictitious projects and contracts being granted to friends and family members or used to prop up patronage for political or personal gains.

“The same level of desperation is clearly been displayed by the new board who are in a rush to takeover the already damaged and dirty house without waiting for a clean up. These indeed shows to the world how and why the house got stinky dirty and rotten in the first place.

“If allowed, the already dirty house will not only get worse, it may collapse,” the statement added.