The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC is an interventionist Agency which was established by an act of parliament for the sole mandate of developing the Niger Delta Region. Subsequently, a Federal ministry, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was created and its core responsibility was to oversee and report progress of development in the region before the Federal Executive Council.

The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC was to become a parastatal under the ministry and the core mandate of the Commission was to train and educate the youths of the oil rich Niger Delta regions to curb hostilities and militancy, while developing key infrastructure to promote diversification and productivity. Now, one would be forced to ask, " has this dream been fulfilled thus far?

Tracing antecedents, one could picture how woeful NDDC, as well as the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta have fared in the discharge of their core mandates. The objectives behind their establishment have outrightly been defeated, and it takes consistent reawakening activities by patriots of the region for actual reparation by them.

Without mincing words, notable organizations like the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF which is chaired by a one-time Military governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga, rtd amongst others, have unanimously taken upon themselves the burden of striving to ensure the improprieties in the Commission and Niger Delta region at large are wholly corrected. This, every right thinking person from the region would support for proper accountability in the Commission which is for the general interest of the region. And not to be used as a mercenary of destruction to anyone who dare to call NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta to probity.

Having perused on the Press Statement of PANDEF which commended the National Assembly on the probe of NDDC, it's saddening to note that it does not in anyway warrant the relentless insults, abuses and castigation on the Chairman of the Forum, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga by some sponsored mercenaries.

On the Press Statement, the former Military governor enumerated the many challenges faced in the Niger Delta region and the need for both Chambers of the National Assembly to be patriotic not to drop the petition because of the pressure that would be mounted on them by some Desperados. I did not stumble upon any line which described the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Desperado or among the Desperados. But a couple of APC media hirelings and political contractors in Akwa Ibom State have claimed otherwise through concocted Press Statements, . Maybe they are indirectly trying to tell the world about how desperate Akpabio is, and how far he would go to mounting pressure on the National Assembly to decline the probe of his ministry and NDDC. But how would they be so mean to have turned to ironically bait Senator Akpabio even after being induced financially.

As the then governor of the State and subsequently Senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Akpabio's greatest philosophy was " what money cannot do more money can do". Thus, he would always create hopes from absolute hopelessness. Everything would be manipulated to occur the way he wanted. Because of how dangerous this philosophy had been, the former President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Olusegun Obasanjo had warned Barr. Mike Igini who served as as the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Akwa Ibom State to run away from Senator Akpabio. " If you allow him come near you, he'll give you an offer you may never be able to reject". This was his advice to the INEC REC. Because the INEC REC adhered strictly to this elderly advise, Akpabio and his cohorts had sought for all available avenue to destroy Igini's image. The rest is history for those that know or would want to know.

Today, some unregistered groups are unceasingly threatening both Chambers of the National Assembly to drop the proposed probe of Akpabio and NDDC's wanton and reckless spending of about N42bn within few weeks. Some acclaimed Niger Delta Militant groups are not left out of this. This was what PANDEF meant by pressure. We thank God that at last, Akpabio's core mercenary has been able to indirectly point at Akpabio as the man behind the scene. This means that Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga who's from the same State with Senator Akpabio understands him better than others who are not from their State.

I also read an open letter to Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga written by one Rachel Etuk, one of the Akpabio's media foot soldiers. In her piece, she descended on the Elder why he should dare call the attention of the Federal Government and National Assembly to the abandoned East-West road which has been under construction for more than 15years now. She cried bitterly why the former Military governor should involve Akpabio to the hapless condition of the road considering the fact that Akpabio is barely a year in office as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Sincerely speaking, I didn't see where Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga said or wrote that Akpabio is the reason why the East-West road is in that misfortunate state it is currently. Rachel linking Akpabio's name to this is something I do not understand. Was she trying to say that the N43bn that's been complained missing would somehow or someday be said to have been disbursed for the construction of that road without the requiring paper work? She really needs to explain to her paymaster, Akpabio why she had to drag his name to the East-West road saga. Maybe next time, Rachel would learn to digest a piece carefully with utmost understanding before venturing into giving reactions either against or in support. That's if she's even intelligent enough to read without the help of a second party.

Because they were trained to always attack personalities and not issues, Rachel in her open letter to the highly respected Akwa Ibom Elder had tried to soil his hard-earned reputation. One of the points she raised was that throughout Akpabio's 8-years in office as governor, the former Military governor had supported Akpabio unreservedly. "If Akpabio was that corrupt, why then did you support him throughout those years? This was the question Rachel put forward to H.E Idongesit Nkanga.

I don't know if Rachel has never made a mistake in her life before. If she'll claim not to have made any mistake in her life, she should know that life is like a football game. A center referee may blow his whistle, awarding a penalty kick against one side of the teams. But on looking critically at the VAR, he then discovers that his decision to have given a penalty kick was so grossed. He blows the whistle again calling for a fair play as against the penalty kick he had awarded earlier. That's how life is. Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga after the 8-years of Akpabio as governor discovered that if Akpabio had used 40% of the total money that had flourished in the State as at then, Akwa Ibom State would have been better than Dubai today. Rachel, if you were in his position, wouldn't you have called off the penalty kick the way Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga did? Be sincere to yourself for once!

Again, I saw where one of the media urchins of the Minister tried to explain how Akpabio made Idongesit Nkanga who he is today. This is only ludicrous. How's it possible for Akpabio to have made a man who was made even before Akpabio graduated from college? At times, I don't debate when some people maintain that everyone in Akpabio's camp is a tramadol addict. 'Akpabio made Idongesit Nkanga' is only but a statement that is tramadolically motivated.

I don't know how possible they think that blackmail, castigation and insult on anyone who dare support the National Assembly on the probe of the Interim Management Committee of NDDC and Senator Godswill Akpabio would help them quench the fire that has been burning and about setting the Minister and his cohorts ablaze.

I'm yet to understand how all the threats by some faceless and Militant groups would help make both Chambers of the National Assembly decline the probe of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and NDDC over the undocumented reckless spending of about N43bn within few weeks.

At this point, I'm left with no option than to state that Akpabio's efforts to subvert the Elders of Niger Delta as well as the National Assembly is nothing but the last kicks of a drowning horse. When it's time, he'll appear before both Chambers of the National Assembly to give proper account of the sudden disappearance of N43bn.


Umani Uwemedimo, a good governance advocate and public affairs analyst, writes from Uyo.