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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Akwa, has said about 70 per cent of people in the Niger Delta lived below the poverty line.
Akwa, who stated this at a lecture organised by the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, University of Abuja, said this was regardless of the fact that the region contributes about 90 per cent to the country’s earning.
The NDDC boss in the lecture titled: “The role of NDDC in national development” said the country needed a stable and peaceful Niger Delta to achieve a robust economy.
Akwa said the forensic audit of the commission, ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari, was bearing fruits, as it has led to the completion of 76 contracts, hitherto abandoned.
He said funding had been a major challenge confronting the NDDC since its inception.
“We have funding deficit. The NDDC as a commission has not received the full budgetary allocation since inception and funding remains a major challenge till date. It is a known fact that NDDC is owed in excess of monies by specific fund providers and the current administration is making all efforts to ensure that this is addressed so that contractors can be paid.”
