Akpabio-antics-and-the-nddc-a-bad-situation-that-should-be-addressed
September 7, 2020 | News
AKPABIO’S ANTICS AND THE NDDC – A BAD SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED
Talk about a clear case of having a square peg in a round hole – that is the best way we can describe Godswill Akpabio’s appointment and occupation of the Office of the Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, especially his self-centered antics, manipulation and gross abuse of that Office and its power, in meddling with the affairs and activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and its Board. In other climes and sectors of the economy, when some persons are appointed to head sensitive Offices, we start seeing and witnessing positive changes, almost immediately, which eventually brings about the needed progress and development in such sectors. But with Akpabio, ever since he was appointed as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and even up till now, and the NDDC placed under him – the Commission has not known any peace, talk less of making any meaningful progress and impact in the Niger Delta region.
We were first surprised that Akpabio, whose tenure as former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and then a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and whose time in these public offices was ridden with alleged corrupt practices that necessitated investigations by anti-graft agencies; was still appointed to head such a sensitive position in the Niger Delta region. Such a man who has alleged corruption cases still hanging on his neck, should not be fit, or even considered to be the right person to direct the affairs of the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta. These are some of the instances and cases that make Nigerians to seriously doubt the sincerity of the anti-corruption fight by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
As noted by a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Usman Bugaje, in a well circulated video online: “All these talks about corruption is just silly. Nobody is prepared to fight corruption genuinely today. It is just nonsense. All these institutions that talk about fighting corruption is nonsense. We can see it playing out. Somebody who has a case with the EFCC is being appointed as a Minister. Being cleared by the Senate, made up of similar people. I mean, where do we go?”
The bottom line is the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs should never have been in the hands of Godswill Akpabio, not even for a single day. Such a man that has proven to have no iota of integrity, should never have been appointed in that sensitive Ministerial position. With his antics in the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio has shown to all that he is indeed a greedy Nigerian Politician, who despite losing his Senatorial election, he abandoned the ordered re-run and has then found his way into the President’s Cabinet, all because of greed. All of this and more are the reasons why I am surprised that the President is still keeping such a shameless politician in his Cabinet. Truth be told, if President Buhari means well for the people of the Niger Delta area, he would not have appointed such a man like Akpabio in the first place. Some Nigerians will doubt the integrity of the present Buhari-led Administration for carrying on board, the likes of Akpabio as a favoured Minister. El-Rufia once said that, though the Constitution requires that a Minister be appointed from every State of the Federation, but it does not say the President should appoint a man that is without integrity. It is the responsibility of the President to appoint good people that will support his administration and do things in the interest of the people, not the other way round.
It is without a doubt that the politics and politicking within, around, and concerning the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is getting out of hand with the interplay of self-driven interests. As such, we believe there is need for President Muhammadu Buhari to come forth and make some adjustments by putting the NDDC under the complete Control of the Presidency as it were before now, so as to prevent the Commission from further being politicized as it is being done presently under the hands of Akpabio.
While we are aware that the President Muhammadu Buhari recently named Kemebradikumo Pondei, a professor of medicine as the new Acting Managing Director for the NDDC, to replace Joy Nunieh who was also acting in that capacity, however there is also need for the President to either terminate the ongoing forensic audit of the NDDC, or engage foreign neutral forensic auditors if they cannot trust the Nigerian auditors to audit all NDDC projects and operations from start to date. The President should also ask the already confirmed NDDC Board by the Senate to resume duties and take charge of the NDDC, as soon as possible. All that bickering by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, are practically irrelevant and uncalled for.
Zik Gbemre.
March 13, 2020.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
Talk about a clear case of having a square peg in a round hole – that is the best way we can describe Godswill Akpabio’s appointment and occupation of the Office of the Minister of Niger-Delta Affairs, especially his self-centered antics, manipulation and gross abuse of that Office and its power, in meddling with the affairs and activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and its Board. In other climes and sectors of the economy, when some persons are appointed to head sensitive Offices, we start seeing and witnessing positive changes, almost immediately, which eventually brings about the needed progress and development in such sectors. But with Akpabio, ever since he was appointed as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and even up till now, and the NDDC placed under him – the Commission has not known any peace, talk less of making any meaningful progress and impact in the Niger Delta region.
We were first surprised that Akpabio, whose tenure as former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and then a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and whose time in these public offices was ridden with alleged corrupt practices that necessitated investigations by anti-graft agencies; was still appointed to head such a sensitive position in the Niger Delta region. Such a man who has alleged corruption cases still hanging on his neck, should not be fit, or even considered to be the right person to direct the affairs of the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta. These are some of the instances and cases that make Nigerians to seriously doubt the sincerity of the anti-corruption fight by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
As noted by a former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Usman Bugaje, in a well circulated video online: “All these talks about corruption is just silly. Nobody is prepared to fight corruption genuinely today. It is just nonsense. All these institutions that talk about fighting corruption is nonsense. We can see it playing out. Somebody who has a case with the EFCC is being appointed as a Minister. Being cleared by the Senate, made up of similar people. I mean, where do we go?”
The bottom line is the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs should never have been in the hands of Godswill Akpabio, not even for a single day. Such a man that has proven to have no iota of integrity, should never have been appointed in that sensitive Ministerial position. With his antics in the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio has shown to all that he is indeed a greedy Nigerian Politician, who despite losing his Senatorial election, he abandoned the ordered re-run and has then found his way into the President’s Cabinet, all because of greed. All of this and more are the reasons why I am surprised that the President is still keeping such a shameless politician in his Cabinet. Truth be told, if President Buhari means well for the people of the Niger Delta area, he would not have appointed such a man like Akpabio in the first place. Some Nigerians will doubt the integrity of the present Buhari-led Administration for carrying on board, the likes of Akpabio as a favoured Minister. El-Rufia once said that, though the Constitution requires that a Minister be appointed from every State of the Federation, but it does not say the President should appoint a man that is without integrity. It is the responsibility of the President to appoint good people that will support his administration and do things in the interest of the people, not the other way round.
It is without a doubt that the politics and politicking within, around, and concerning the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is getting out of hand with the interplay of self-driven interests. As such, we believe there is need for President Muhammadu Buhari to come forth and make some adjustments by putting the NDDC under the complete Control of the Presidency as it were before now, so as to prevent the Commission from further being politicized as it is being done presently under the hands of Akpabio.
While we are aware that the President Muhammadu Buhari recently named Kemebradikumo Pondei, a professor of medicine as the new Acting Managing Director for the NDDC, to replace Joy Nunieh who was also acting in that capacity, however there is also need for the President to either terminate the ongoing forensic audit of the NDDC, or engage foreign neutral forensic auditors if they cannot trust the Nigerian auditors to audit all NDDC projects and operations from start to date. The President should also ask the already confirmed NDDC Board by the Senate to resume duties and take charge of the NDDC, as soon as possible. All that bickering by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, are practically irrelevant and uncalled for.
Zik Gbemre.
March 13, 2020.
We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes