The allegation of corruption that engulfed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is sickening and condemnable. The agency was established in the last two decades by the Obasanjo administration to address the infrastructural challenges or deficit of the oil producing communities. It is estimated that since the commission came on board in the last 20 years, over N4 trillion had disbursed to it.
Sadly, the trending news that continues to emerge from the region paints a gloomy picture of the worsening condition of living in the area; there is no corresponding improvement in the standard of living of people in the region. The House of Representatives committee of NDDC which conducted an investigating hearing recently raised an alarm over the mismanagement of over N40 billion by the now dissolved interim management committee (IMC) led by Keme Pondei.
Prior to the Professor Keme Pondei allegation of financial infraction or corruption, the ex-interim MD of the agency, Joy Nunieh, was also accused of financial embezzlement to the tune of N22 billion. However, Nunieh denied any wrong doing but blamed the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, as the culprit or master mind of the corruption rocking the commission. Whether her accusations are true or not depends on the House of Representatives committee on NDDC final report.
With the shocking discovery of financial mis-management in the NDDC many Nigerians thought that the Niger Delta activists, warriors and stakeholders will stage a protest to register their displeasure or condemn the actions of some few bad elements in the region who continue to parade themselves as leaders and milk the resources of the region dry.
Unfortunately, since the revelation of outright theft in NDDC by Akpabio and his accomplices there is deafening silence in the Niger Delta. Does the silence suggest an endorsement or hypocrisy from the impoverished region? Niger Delta is the proverbial hen that lays the golden egg. The bulk of the country’s resources comes from the area.
While it is true that the region contributes a higher percentage of revenue to the country, the fiscal federalism which deals with revenue sharing also favours the oil producing states. Think about the monthly financial allocation, the 13% derivation, the NDDC, the Ministry of Niger Delta and royalties from the oil companies.
The huge amount of resources or revenues coming from these sources debunk the erroneous claims that the region is cash strapped. If the resources allocated to the region are judiciously utilised, Niger Delta would have become an el dorado of sorts.
However, in spite of its revenues vantage position, Niger Delta is synonymous with poverty, militancy and environmental degradation due to corrupt leadership. Since the discovery of oil in the early 50s there has been constant revenue agitation from oil producing states which led to series of constitutional amendments to ensure equitable distribution of resources. Nonetheless, the huge amount of funds running into trillions of naira collected by the Niger Delta region have been mismanaged or squandered by some of their greedy leaders.
Equally worth mentioning is how these corrupt leaders and their paid acolytes or co-travellers continue to apportion blames to other people for their self-inflicted woes.
It is high time the Niger Delta activists broke their silence, raised their voices in unison and called for transparency and accountability in the management of resources allocated or generated by the region. The lid has been blown and this is not the right time to play the ostrich, pretending all is well. The problem of the region is corruption. Unless concerted efforts are made and leaders are held accountable, the region would remain backward in the next thousand years. God forbid!
Ibrahim Mustapha,
Pambegua, Kaduna state
08169056963