Follow Us on Google
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Traditional rulers and youth groups from the nine Niger Delta states have urged the Federal Government and International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the region to release all accumulated monies owed the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The stakeholders said, the release of the money would allow Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana, to reposition and implement the newly developed roadmap of the commission for the region.
They claimed, under the tenure of former minister, Godswill Akpabio, the NDDC was owed about $5.6 billion and N649 billion by multinational oil companies.
They said the newly developed roadmap by Umana to achieve the commission’s core mandate may not work, if the NDDC is not removed from its life support approach, because what the commission receives on a monthly basis is just enough to pay employees’ salaries and office maintenance.
Secretary General of the stakeholders’ groups, Anthony Loveday, in a statement, said the call on the Federal Government and oil companies was necessitated by the short time available to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the worrisome reality that the roadmap developed by Umana may not be implemented without proper funding.
While applauding Umana and the management team at prioritising project execution at the NDDC, it reiterated their support for the expected rebranding of the commission, stressing that it would enable it to serve as a vehicle to drive the socio-economic development of the region.
“The Federal Government should match its words with action and release the funds owed to the NDDC and also direct the multinational oil and gas companies to release the monies owed the commission.
“We support the new policy directions and the expected rebranding of the commission under Umana leadership. We are waiting on the Federal Government to release the funds for the expected reforms to commence. We expect the reforms to lead to sound decisions on various issues affecting the people of the region, including the completion of the East West road, and the review of various infrastructure development projects across the region.
“The presidency should, as a matter of urgency, grant the NDDC new contracts awarding powers to enable it provide communities across the nine states in the region with empowerment and entrepreneurship training programmes in order to alleviate the sufferings of the people, and to ensure payments of verified and completed contracts before the expiration of the tenure of President Buhari,” the group said in the statement.
