NIGER DELTA NETWORK, NDN


HIS EXCELLENCY,
PRESIDENT MOHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR,
STATE HOUSE, ASO ROCK. VILLA, ABUJA.


YOUR EXCELLENCY,

A CALL FOR IMMEDIATE PROBE OF FORMER SOLE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NDDC, EFFIONG AKWA, CONTRACT AWARDED DURING HIS TENURE AND CONTRACTORS



We, the undersigned foremost good governance and public accountability group, Niger Delta Network, wish to draw your attention to the recent disclosure by the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, alleging fraudulent award of contracts amounting to over N300 billion without due process by past sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission, during a meeting with staff of the Commission in Rivers State, recently.


Mr. President, we have reasons to believe that it was on the basis of trust that the presidency in 2019 approved and allocated resources to back the forensic audit which purpose was to check myriad of fraudulent activities in the NDDC in the past years. It is however sad, disheartening and rudely shocking to discover that under the same NDDC regime which had such high level of public trust, is alleged to have committed the worst and most devastating fraud in the history of the commission.


The development of our region has unfortunately been hampered by the aforementioned. It becomes the proverbial case of the custodian of the communal yam barn, stealing yams for himself. There can be no justification for the insidious impunity and high level corruption endemic in the Commission inspite of federal government's efforts to sanity the system.


Mr. President, one would be puzzled by the antithesis of your administration being so popular in the news to have made genuine efforts backed by heavy funding towards the development of the Niger Delta region, yet, so infamous among Niger Deltans when and where it concerns the impacts of these efforts. The solution to this puzzle might be visible when one considers the development that over N300bn well utilised would have brought.


PRAYERS:
As a good governance and public accountability group, advocating the development of the region, we wish to demand the following prayers:


1) That Mr. President should without any reservation nor delay order the EFCC and ICPC to thoroughly investigate the former sole administrator of NDDC, Mr. Effiong Akwa.


2) That ALL contracts issued within he tenure as the sole administrator SHOULD as a matter of urgency be investigated.


3) That ALL contractors and beneficiaries of prayer (2) should be invited for questioning.


4) That Mr. President should direct the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to immediately publish list of contracts awarded by both the Ministry and NDDC as well as the immediate auditing of personnel of NDDC.


5) That Mr. President should stay true to his promise to make public the white paper of the forensic audit.


Your Excellency, we commend you for your genuine efforts at developing the Niger Delta region and we pray God to continually give you the enablement to do more.


Accept the assurances of our highest esteem.




Signed:


Chief Kennedy Adams.
Coordinator


Eric Igbinopogie Esq
Acting Secretary General


Dr. Join Douglas
Director, Public Communications

https://ourdailywire.com/ndn-calls-for-immediate-probe-of-ex-nddc-scribe-effiong-akwa/