The Niger Delta Rescue Movement (NDRM) has raised alarm over what it called a clandestine plot against the people of the Niger Delta region by those pushing for the scrapping or merger of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
The National Coordinator of NRDM, Mr Preye Miebi in a statement titled ‘Clandestine Plot against NDDC Must Fail’ noted that any conspiracy against the people of the Niger Delta region, who are yearning for socio-economic development, is bound to fail.
According to Miebi, there are covert moves by some enemies of the Niger Delta region working to further impoverish the people by suggesting the scrapping of the NDDC or for it to merge with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for reasons that serve their very nefarious and self-seeking greed. .
Miebi declared that arguments against the continued existence of the NDDC based on some spurious reasons flies in the face of laudable achievements which the commission has achieved in line with the mandate of its establishment.
It will be prudent that we rewind the very clearly fleeing memory of these charlatans that the NDDC has a history and a slight overhaul of the then minorities fears the Niger Delta peoples before independence that are shamefully still staring at us; which again rather expanded with the coming of crude oil as the backbone sustainers of the Nigerian economy since her export in 1956!
Beyond the pre-independence battles of the peoples of the Niger Delta that were partially given palliative by the creation of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority as an outcome of the 1958 Willinks Commission Report and was promptly politicized and made meaningless soon after independence as the Federal Government eventually constituted every River or stream into a Basin development Authorities like the NDBDA and shared to them even greater funds; the journey to the present 13% Derivation Fund and the NDDC was a torturous journey that costs even lives like the Kaiama Declaration massacre!
The journey ran from 1.5%/3% under President Shehu Shagari/General Babangida through the muddy waters of the General Sani Abacha’s National Constitutional Conference; and each epoch drew battle and pitched warfare at diverse fronts before the present NDDC that again was never easy to come!
We want to observe and lament that two factors have actually helped to occasion this present evil clamor to seize and obliterate the NDDC which idea has been unwarrantedly replicated in the formation of the North East Development Commission as a reward for a self inflicted madness carefully carried out by indefinable Nigerian “insane untouchables’’ to further spite the genuine pains paid as sacrifice for the thankless Nigerian state by the death kneel that oil exploration is to the Niger Delta!
The two factors are simply; the clan of Niger Delta sons and daughters who mismanaged the NDDC through a “master/servant relationship’’ as they also promptly carted same loot from the NDDC back to their masters/employers outside the Niger Delta. Secondly, seeing the size of the loot returned to them, the masters then believe that the Niger Delta and her sons are rather sufficiently foolish and returning back the development funds as booties to them, why not simply not give them?
He reiterated that what is needed in the NDDC is a leadership that is disciplined, prudent and which can transform into reality the vision President Muhammadu Buhari has for people of the Niger Delta region.
Miebi advised President Buhari to reject any suggestion about scrapping or merging NDDC with the Ministry of Niger Delta adding that those pushing such plan want to create a wedge between the Presidency and the people of the Niger Delta region.
While calling on President Buhari to accelerate the process to inaugurate the Board of the commission, he implored the people of the region to remain calm and ignore deliberate plans to set the region on fire through provocative statements.
The statement read in part: “NRDM has noted the worrisome development of underground moves by some persons within and outside the Niger Delta region against the development of the Niger Delta region. These set of people are fixated in creating a state of insecurity in the Niger Delta for reasons best known to them. These people are behind suggestions calling for the scrapping of the NDDC or its merger with the Ministry of Niger Delta because the Commission has failed the people.
“While we are not ready to join issues with these enemies of the Niger Delta, NRDM wish to make it clear that the people of the Niger Delta region will resist any moves to scrap or merge the NDDC with the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs. NDDC by the Act establishing it was an interventionist agency specifically created to attend to the developmental needs of the people of the Niger Delta region after years of neglect by successive administration in the country. The Niger Delta people are no longer comfortable with the delay in the inauguration which is a minus for the President Buhari government. The Presidency should reject such suggestions as it is capable of igniting instability in the region.
We will want to place on record that the following four Niger Delta sons must be held responsible at this point in time for whatever evil that may befall the NDDC and by extension the people of the Niger Delta (in degree of culpability); Senator Akpabio, Minister of the Niger Delta who cannot wait to be overlord of the NDDC; Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President, who is working hard to capture the 3% Host Communities Fund on the PIA and also grandstanding to add the NDDC politics to his Delta State Governorship battle, Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State, Petroleum and maybe to a lesser extent, Hon Chubuike Amaechi, Minister of Transport. Be warned that history will not be kind at your dangerous adventure to reducing rather than adding to the gains of past compatriots!
“NRDM call on President Buhari to match action with words over his avowed love for the people of Niger Delta by ensuring the inauguration of the NDDC board and returning the NDDC to the Presidency for proper supervision and effective service delivery to the people. The years NDDC worked for the people of the Niger Delta region were the years it was under the Presidency, so we area advocating that it should be returned to the Presidency.
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