The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) andVanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy, (VATLAD), have faulted the forensic audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), particularly the recommendation for a part-time board and reduction in the number of the board members.
Recall that the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio had, on Thursday, September 2, submitted the report to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
In a brief overview of the report, the lead auditor, Mr. Jabir Ahmed, said the team recommended managerial as well as structural changes, chief of which is the downsizing of the NDDC’s board.
He added that to reduce cost the team recommended that members of the team should henceforth be appointed on a part-time basis.
VATLAD, in its reaction, said such recommendation was shocking and disappointing.
In a statement by the national president, Mr. Emmanuel Igbini, VATLAD said: “We were hit with rude shock and disappointment to read that the lead forensic auditor, Alhaji Kabir Ahmed, recommended managerial as well as structural changes, chief of which is downsizing of the Board and members of the Board to be on part-time.
“He was reported to have hinged his recommendations on the need to reduce cost of running NDDC.
“We would have ignored his recommendations and not react to same because they are not carefully thought-out. However, we are compelled to react because the attorney general of the federation in his response on behalf of President Buhari stated that President Buhari has promised to strategically implement all aspects of the audit exercise, which will include review of the NDDC Act vis-a-vis the recommendation for board members to be on part-time.
“At this point, it is incumbent on us, as patriots and indigenes of the Niger Delta region, to remind President Buhari and Nigerians that by virtue of section 2(3) of the NDDC Act, 2000, those positions of governing board of the commission (NDDC) that our people of Niger Delta Region rightly demanded in year 2000 be placed on part-time are already on part-time and, therefore, need no further placing on part-time.
“Furthermore, it’s important to remind Nigerians that of every 19-member substantive Governing Board of NDDC confirmed by the Nigerian Senate, 16 are on part-time; only three of them, the managing director/CEO, executive director, finance and administration, and executive director, projects, are on full-time, and rightly so.
“It was deliberate to differentiate them from the other 16 members on part-time that the NDDC Act, 2000 under section 12, classify them as members of NDDC management committee with responsibility to carry out the day-to-day administration of the commission.” Sic
For its part, the IYC in a statement by its president, Mr. Peter Igbifa, said the recommendation for a part-time board and reduction in the number of the board members was not practicable saying was designed to extend the sole administrative regime in NDDC.
Igbifa called for the sack of the minister to pave the way for the inauguration of the NDDC board.
He alleged that Akpabio deliberately mismanaged the audit process deploying delay tactics, selfish politics and wicked maneuvering to maintain his stranglehold on NDDC against the collective interest of the region.
He also said Akpabio was not ready to relinquish the NDDC to serve the collective interest of the region but was determined to keep the commission under his whims and caprices.
The IYC president further alleged that the minister had worked out his plans to retain the control of NDDC and keep the commission running under a sole administration stressing that the only way to keep the board working is to sack the minister.
“We were told that Akpabio ensured that selfish recommendations were smuggled into the report. If these recommendations are implemented, they will deny states adequate representation on the board and give Akpabio more time to continue running the NDDC with a sole administrator.
“For instance, we learnt that there are recommendations for a part-time board and reduction in the number of the board members. These suggestions are not feasible because they are designed to extend the sole administrative regime in NDDC. They require amendments of the Act establishing the NDDC and this will take at least six months to achieve.
“Besides, how can you think of reducing the board members. Which state are you going to exclude from the board? Or do you think IOCs should not be part of the board? These are obviously selfish recommendations and we are calling on the Presidency to be careful to avoid promoting one man’s selfish tendencies ahead of the collective interest and development of the Niger Delta.
“We are calling on the President to sack Akpabio for all the embarrassment he has caused for the Presidency in his insatiable appetite to maintain his stranglehold on the NDDC. Since he has submitted the report, it is time for him to go home and allow the NDDC have a fresh breath. His continuous stay in office is an obstacle to President Buhari’s desire to inaugurate the board of the commission,” he said.
