Reason has been given for the removal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Interim Sole Administrator, Effiong Akwa from office by President Muhammadu Buhari, Straightnews has learned.
Akwa who was appointed as Interim Sole administrator of NDDC on December 13, 2020 during Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio’s era as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was Thursday, October 20 booted out of office by the reigning Minister, Obong Umana Okon Umana.
The out-gone Sole Administrator and the two Ministers are all indigenes of Akwa Ibom State in the Nigeria’s South South Region and had served the State under the administration of Godswill Akpabio as Governor.
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No reason was given for the removal of Akwa, except that the Director of Press, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Patricia Deworitshe, in a statement, announced plans for the constitution of a new management team and Governing Board of the NDDC to be transmitted to Senate for approval.
However, Straightnews gathered from a reliable source in the commission that ‘‘Akwa was the architect of his abrupt removal from office.’’
The tenure of Effiong Akwa as Interim Administrator expired on September 15, this year having been previously renewed for a six-month period from March 15, 2022; but Obong Umana played along seeking for an opportunity to put his personal nominee as Sole Administrator, which many speculated was Hon. Samuel Frank, a filial relative. The power to remove or keep Akwa was within the precinct of the Honorable Minister, Umana.’’
This newspaper gathered that ‘‘Umana prepared NDDC budget for next year. Akwa allegedly felt that his interest was not properly accommodated.’’
‘‘He then leaked the information to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions of the Minister’s approval of N480 billion NDDC budget for the 2023 financial year without being presented to National Assembly for approval.’’
This angered the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to have summoned the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana over allegations bordering on poor performance and corruption.
Irked by the purported Akwa’s action, ‘‘Umana had no other option than to call for his head to pave way for his defence in the Senate,’’ the source told Straightnews.
Senate summons Umana
Recall that the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had summoned the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, over alleged plot to siphon N480 billion intervention fund belonging to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and domicile it in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, without approval of the National Assembly.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja, on Monday, Senator Ayo Akinyelure (PDP Ondo Central) who chaired the committee said they had met and resolved that the minister be invited based on the strength of a petition against him.
The Senator who added that the committee had agreed to ensure the matter was accorded an accelerated hearing said the minister was expected to appear on November 10 by 2 p.m.
According to the petition, Umana has perfected plans to seek Presidential approval to collect the money on the guise that it would be spent on special projects in the Niger Delta region.
Addressing journalists at the National Assembly complex in Abuja Senator Akinyelure said: “There is N480B funds in a CBN account.
“Umana Umana is said to have perfected ways to present some new projects to President Muhammadu Buhari to approve it for him to start using the money to implement projects that is not appropriated by National Assembly.
“The power of a appropriation is conferred on the National Assembly not on Mr. President. Mr. President, can only give approval for service Wide Votes when the money appropriated by the National Assembly is not adequate to implement some projects meant for a particular, state or region,” he stressed.
Akinyelure said several other allegations were levelled against Umana; among which is his refusal to forward two annual budgets of the NDDC (2021 and 2022) to the National Assembly for approval while money is being spent by the commission on the orders of the minister therefore taking the power of appropriations to himself.
He said: “The president has in his wisdom deemed it fit to appropriate funds to the Niger Delta region but the minister has refused to bring the appropriation before the National Assembly for us democratically elected representatives of the people to give approval, they have refused to do so. There are a lot of higher level mismanagement of resources due to develop the Niger Delta region.
“Because we are entering an election year, this is the fear of the Niger Delta people. We are entering an election year. We have less than seven months for Mr. President to say bye bye to Nigeria and he has a legacy to prove that he loves (the country).
“Why must the budget of 2021 and 2022 to be held by the minister by collaborating with some people who do not love the people of the Niger Delta region not to bring his budget for National Assembly when we are ready to pass the budget of NDDC?
“The budget of other similar agencies brought by their ministers and they have been approved by the National Assembly.”
The minister is also summoned to explain why he sacked more than 100 NDDC staffers therefore increasing the level of unemployment in the country.
Giving further details on the petition, Akinyelure said the petitioner alleged that the minister was aiding corrupt practices and had failed to inaugurate the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“We’ve come to realise we believe that Mr. President is doing his best. But those he appointed as he said, as aides and ministers are frustrating the anti-corruption agenda of the president.”
He said the Minister was also accused of trying to replace the sole administrator of the NDDC, Mr. Akwa, who was duly appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, and confirmed by the National Assembly.
He said removing the sole administrator would be detrimental to the interest of the people in the Niger Delta region.
