On the front page of the ‘Daily times’ newspapers of August 21, 2023, a press statement, generated electronically by email, was copiously published, wherein, one Elder Donald Ewere called for the sacking of Niger Delta Development Commission’s NDDC’s management team. The caption of the lead story on the front page was ‘Anger in Niger Delta over Aso Rock Top shot’s meddling in NDDC, written by one Amos Okioma.
Ordinarily, the story does not deserve a reply because, the Aso Rock’s top shot the author referred to, was not mentioned and so can be taken to mean anybody and anybody means nobody. Thus, the description of the Aso Rock’s top shot and all the icing on the cake are mere gibberish, emanating from the imagination of the author and his fifth columnists in Bayelsa state, for whatever agenda the publication was to serve.
“We urge the President, Ahiwagu Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Federal Government Senator George Akume, to dismiss the publication and the authors, as rumour mongers and persons crying wolf, where no harm is meant. The public and Niger Deltans are urged to dismiss the views of elder Ewere as emanating from a mind that has taken flight of fancy, when his group can barely speak for itself, talk more of the Niger Delta as whole.
Again, the author of the petition hoodwinked the publishers of the Daily Times to think that their petition was written consistent with current development in the Niger Delta, to warrant the prominence given to it, on August 21, 2023 edition. It was not. The petition was written before the 2023 presidential election (see paragraph ), when the President was none, other than Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Secretary to the Federal Government was Boss Mustafa.
This therefore places a cloud of suspicion on the authors, as to how come a petition that was written in the Buhari’s administration with different actors is now recast as contingent on the politicking of an aide of President Tinubu. How come the displeasure of the 9th Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has become the displeasure of the 10th Senate President, Godswill Akpabio?
On account of this, we jettison the petition as mere inanities, unfit for the 21st century Nigeria. And as such, we urge the public to disregard the petitioner and the so-called ‘Niger Delta Elders for Good Governance’ (NDEGG), as an unserious bunch.
But for the cloud of politics hovering over the petitioners’ claims and how desperate men can be, even when there be no desperate situations, we hasten to address some uncouth falsehood in the published story thus:
Donald Ewere alleges that there is a rift between an aide of President Tinubu and leadership of the Senate over illegal, wasteful and unverifable expenditures at the NDDC, to the tune of #350billion.
Donald Ewere did not give a breakdown of the illegal, wasteful and unverfiable expenditures. This is rather speculative, mere hear–say and kindergarten in words, deeds and actions, as there is no rift between the management of NDDC between NDDC, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and the leadership of the National Assembly NASS, over expenditures of the Commission.
For the avoidance of doubt, the relationship between the leadership of the National Assembly and the management of NDDC is cordial and professional, as examplified during the 2023/24 budgetory appropriation review. There was a mutual ground where both the leadership of the NASS and the NDDC agreed on, which was the development of the Niger Delta region. During the debates, at no time, were we disrespectful to the leadership of then 9th Senate, which Donald Ewere juxtaposed into the 10th Senate.
Much as that, as Minister for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the current Senate President and the Commission got the backing of each other, at all times, and the Commission remains grateful for the role he played in the development of the Niger Delta region. What this means is that, Godswill Akpabio ensured that the oversight function of NDDC was kept within constitutional provisions, and the NDDC fulfilled it’s constitutional obligation to the ministry.
“We are taken aback by the alleged rift between the aide of President Tinubu, who is insisting that the management of NDDC should not be sacked and those who want the management be sacked. Donald Ewere wants to descend on the arena in his own cause. Saying the Senate President and Secretary, to the federal government want a change of management at the NDDC, to promote economic growth and development in the Niger Delta region amounts to speculation, and nothing but, fanning the ambers of hatred against the Commission, when such policy is not known to the public.
According to Donald Ewere, the wish of the Senate President and the Secretary of the federal government to sack the management of the NDDC, is in line with the wishes of the people of the Niger Delta region. However, sources within the region revealed that, no such sentiment exists as he claimed. Therefore, the expressed thoughts remain imaginative and only made to wet the ground, which it’s end’s result is to serve selfish interests of the unpatriotic few.
On the question of accountability and good governance regime in the NDDC, while we can’t claim that the management of NDDC is governed by angels, we acknowledge the frailties of normal human endeavors, such as ours. The issues of accountability and good governance are ethos that have been strengtened over the years, to see that NDDC delivers on it’s mandate, to promote economic growth, arrested development, gender issues and youth advocacy in the Niger Delta region. NDDC is a journey with clear footprints to follow. Because the path is littered with dynamics, chance is not enough therefore to throw the child away with the bath water.
“We understand the frustration of Donald Ewere and his group, having worked for the election of the president and would want to be rewarded, when seen that the sacking of the NDDC’s management would be a good avenue to have him rewarded with political appointment, or those he recommends. This is why we holds that “you can never under estimate the desperation of people bound together by a common ulterior motive, as they will stop at nothing to achieve their aim.
It is sad and heart rending therefore to note how desperate a section of some acclaimed elders from the Niger Delta region can go, to destroy the hard earned reputation and personality of a man, in a most wicked attempt to take control of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
In a stretch of a miserable link associating the futile plot for the balkanization of the Commission, to the highest political leadership of the South-South region, it becomes gloomy for the region to be subjected to the whims and caprices of one man, who unfortunately, has arrogated to himself supreme powers.
In the last two weeks the news media have been awash with reports of a purported petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by a self-styled group under the aegis of the ‘Niger Delta Elders for Good Governance’ (NDEGG), calling for the removal of Chief Samuel Ogbuku ( PhD) current Managing Director of the NDDC.
The presumed leader of the pseudo group, which has no known address, His Royal Highness (HRH) Chief Donald Ewere, in the said petition spewed inanities and absolute falsehood against Dr Ogbuku, thinking in their deceitful minds that, the Presidency will be swayed by their uncoated truth.
In a failed effort to dent the impaccable image of Dr Ogbuku, the group went as far as trampling on his goodwill and reputation to portray that, he is a corrupt and bad person. The petitioner threw caution to the wild winds in the bid, to deceive, and outlandishly alleged that Dr Ogbuku has mismanaged the sum of N350bn (Three Hundred and Fifty Billion) Naira, only.
Chief Ogbuku only assumed duties as the Managing Director of the NDDC, on January 5th, 2023, and has barely been in office for about seven months. The records at the commission prove that the Commission has not received such amount as claimed by the group.
By speculating that there is a rift between the Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamala, over the position of the Managing Director of the commission, the group is only attempting to sow a seed of discord among the government functionaries.
Over the years Senator Akpabio has been embroiled in controversies over the affairs of the NDDC, in a negative way, Senator George Akume may be on the wrong step, if he aligns with Senator Akpabio, to fight against the reappointment of Dr Ogbuku into incoming Board of the NDDC. The ground swell of opinion holds that, the current MD is doing very well, as such should be allowed to continue as the Managing Director of the commission.
To every discerning mind, it is trite law that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, reserves the right to appoint persons that will work with him, hence a clear divide between the functions of the Executive and Legislative arms
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can never abdicate his responsibility, by according the Senate President the privilege to influence appointments in the South-South region, as beibg currently canvassed by the group, as the number three citizen and leader of the Niger Delta region, even as the constitution is very clear on powers of the President of the country.
It is a height of disrespect for the office of the Present of the Federation, for the leadership of a group, to assume the function of Mr. President, and feign an anger and frustration against President Tinubu, for ignoring their call for the removal of Dr Samuel Ogbuku, and constitute an Interim Management Committee (IMC), which the people of the region have consistently rejected.
One of the bane of the poor development of the region is associated with incessant change of batton in the NDDC’s leadership and introduction of Interim Administrations in the Commission.
At this juncture, we urge His Rooyal Highness (HRH) to plan for developmental Programmes and policies that will unite us, move us to the next level, rather than those that will tear us apart and set us backwards. A more developed and economically economically viable Niger Delta region will be to the benefit of greater number of our people.
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