By Akanimo Sampson
Irked by the putrefying stench of massive corruption in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), an interventionist agency, militants of the oil and gas region are currently demanding a Presidential purge of the commission.
The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) of the plural militant groups in the polluted oil region in a statement this Friday by their Spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, is demanding for an immediate and total overhaul of the NDDC and a complete removal of the current acting board members.
The Niger Delta armed rebels have also taken note of the ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the anti-graft agency’s memos to several Nigerian banks requesting that transactions from NDDC be contained and questioned.
But, the militants are not satisfied with measures so far taken by the EFCC. Whyte in her statement said they believe that the anti-corruption agency was not doing enough about the rot in the NDDC.
Earlier in the month, top members of the NDDC board were invited to the offices of the EFCC to answer to the growing number of petitions accusing them and top staff of “large scale corruption, grand theft, reckless embezzlement and outright mismanagement’’ of the resources of the development commission.
According to the militants, “In the past few months, the increasing reports of brazen corruption, grand theft, reckless embezzlement and large scale mismanagement across the various interventionist agencies that are supposed to cater to the challenges of the Niger Delta have become intensely mind-boggling.
“The NDDC for instance has been the worst hit and has become the principal center of attention. From contract racketeering (where are contractors are forced to pay upfront sums in dollars), grim nepotism to outright diversion of funds, hundreds of billions of naira has been looted from the coffers of the commission aided and abetted by an incompetent board.
“NDDC has become a conduit pipe through which billions of naira meant for the development of the Niger Delta is being channeled to the pockets of disgruntled politicians and their cronies.’’
Continuing, the militants added, “Those who are robbing the Niger Delta and its people must be identified, shamed and punished. They are corrupt, intensely incompetent and stupid.
“An intervention agency set up to cater to peculiar challenges of the people of the Niger Delta should not be converted to an opportunity center for hungry politicians and desperate cronies.
“Any re-constituted board must be made up of tested, trusted and competent technocrats who understand the challenges of the people of the Niger Delta and will not be subject to the whims of political masters and players.
“A word is enough for the wise.’’
