On-nddc-financial-recklessness-as-a-big-shame-to-our-nation-but-who-to-blame
September 7, 2020 | News
ON NDDC FINANCIAL RECKLESSNESS AS A BIG SHAME TO OUR NATION - BUT WHO'S TO BLAME?
It is funny how, when we thought we have seen the worst of events in this country, as regard fraudulent activities by public office holders entrusted with our collective wealth meant to make life a lot better for the masses, Nigerians are dealt with another blow of more worst financial atrocities. That is how best I can describe the recent reports concerning the investigative public hearing by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee that is investigating the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
It was indeed a can of worms that was let loose, as the said Senate Committee Chairman reeled out unimaginable figures of supposed expenditure of the NDDC just between October 2019 and May 2020 (6 months plus), which amounted to a whopping N81 billion. Looking at the list of the said expenditure is even more of an embarrassment and a shame to our nation, to imagine that some persons would be so heartless and mindless to spend public funds meant for the development of the Niger Delta region with so much reckless abandon and impunity.
Then, the former Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the immediate past Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC, Barrister Joy Nunieh, in a short video that has already gone viral, finally broke her silence on the circumstances that led to her abrupt quit as NDDC boss. While at the venue of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on financial recklessness in the NDDC, the said Mrs. Nunieh disclosed some quite troubling revelations, including how the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, had even wanted to administer oath of loyalty on her just to get her sign off contracts and official documents that would justify their illicit financial recklessness, but she said she resisted. Mrs. Joy Nunieh also noted how officials of the Commission like Dr. Caro Ojugbo, said if Akpabio should ask him to kill, he will kill the person before asking why he was asked to kill the person. We can imagine how deep and deadly these people have gone with their supposed public offices just to have their way with our collective wealth. What a shame and disgrace to our nation!
Who do we really blame for such alleged mind bugging looting of the NDDC? The truth is, Akpabio is not to be blamed for all of this because a leopard can never change its spots. The bulk of the blame should go to President Muhammadu Buhari, who we believe was fully aware that Akpabio, as a former Governor and Senator, was being investigated by the EFCC over huge corruption cases, which were still hanging on his neck. Yet, Mr. President ignored all of that and still went ahead to appoint Akpabio as Minister of the all-important and sensitive Niger-Delta Ministry, even against the advice of well meaning Nigerians. The President, after appointing Akpabio as Minister, still went ahead and made him to supervise the NDDC. It is like giving a child the responsibility of overseeing a shop full of candies. That child will naturally do what makes him a child, which is to devour the candies.
It is almost as if President Buhari does not want the NDDC to succeed, hence he gave it out as a bone to a dog to keep. How will a dog be in custody of a bone, and you still want the bone to remain? It's not possible.
For me, President Buhari had worsened all the existing problems in the NDDC, by his actions since he came in for his Second term. We all know the NDDC already has its financial woes before this administration came on board, but President Buhari, in his second tenure, deliberately donated the NDDC to Akpabio and his 'loyal boys' who are ready to kill, to have a field day in feasting on the funds of the commission, which are meant for upliftmenting the sorry-image of the Niger Delta region.
The Nigerian elites, the press, and the Senate should also blame President Buhari for the current failures in the NDDC. All what is being revealed today by the said Senate Ad-hoc Committee concerning the financial recklessness in the NDDC, would have been avoided if only President Buhari had listened to good advice, and not giving the Commission over to Akpabio. President Buhari also created the problems in the NDDC right from the beginning of his second tenure by appointing the NDDC Board members/Executives, which were duly cleared by the Senate, and at the same time, suspended the Board so appointed, without any wrong doing or inauguration of the NDDC board members. And here we are blaming Akpabio for all that has happened in the NDDC. Akpabio didn't appoint himself, the President did, as such, he should also take responsibility for all that has gone wrong in the NDDC.
Even with all the allegations so far, President Buhari has kept mute, and has pretended as if all is well in the NDDC. A true/forthright leader, especially one who has supposedly taken a stand against corrupt practices in the country, should be seen to always timely take aggressive positions on issues of this nature in the public space. But up till now, Akpabio is still left by Mr. President, to keep causing more damages in the NDDC, and President Buhari does not seem to care.
I still maintain that President Buhari should be held accountable for the current wrong doings in the NDDC. The Senate has also failed because after their clearance of the NDDC Board members, they practically went to sleep, and waited for problems to reach peak heights before waking up to act. The said interim Board was actually unnecessary in the first instance. It was President Buhari who created another problem by appointing an interim committee, which ended up stealing more of the Commission's funds. The so-called interim Committee members all have useless roles. They were just put there to steal. Even the former acting MD of the NDDC interim Committee are all birds of same feathers.
After all said and done, what happens after the findings of the said Senate Ad-hoc Committee, and what actions Mr. President will take; will eventually tell Nigerians who are the real enemies of our nation. If after all these disturbing revelations are made to the public, and at the end of the day, those found wanting are not dealt with the full weight of the law, then we should acknowledge the sad fact that we are indeed doomed in this country. Let's earnestly pray that the right things should be done, at least for posterity sake.
Zik Gbemre.
July 11, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
It is funny how, when we thought we have seen the worst of events in this country, as regard fraudulent activities by public office holders entrusted with our collective wealth meant to make life a lot better for the masses, Nigerians are dealt with another blow of more worst financial atrocities. That is how best I can describe the recent reports concerning the investigative public hearing by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee that is investigating the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
It was indeed a can of worms that was let loose, as the said Senate Committee Chairman reeled out unimaginable figures of supposed expenditure of the NDDC just between October 2019 and May 2020 (6 months plus), which amounted to a whopping N81 billion. Looking at the list of the said expenditure is even more of an embarrassment and a shame to our nation, to imagine that some persons would be so heartless and mindless to spend public funds meant for the development of the Niger Delta region with so much reckless abandon and impunity.
Then, the former Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the immediate past Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC, Barrister Joy Nunieh, in a short video that has already gone viral, finally broke her silence on the circumstances that led to her abrupt quit as NDDC boss. While at the venue of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on financial recklessness in the NDDC, the said Mrs. Nunieh disclosed some quite troubling revelations, including how the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, had even wanted to administer oath of loyalty on her just to get her sign off contracts and official documents that would justify their illicit financial recklessness, but she said she resisted. Mrs. Joy Nunieh also noted how officials of the Commission like Dr. Caro Ojugbo, said if Akpabio should ask him to kill, he will kill the person before asking why he was asked to kill the person. We can imagine how deep and deadly these people have gone with their supposed public offices just to have their way with our collective wealth. What a shame and disgrace to our nation!
Who do we really blame for such alleged mind bugging looting of the NDDC? The truth is, Akpabio is not to be blamed for all of this because a leopard can never change its spots. The bulk of the blame should go to President Muhammadu Buhari, who we believe was fully aware that Akpabio, as a former Governor and Senator, was being investigated by the EFCC over huge corruption cases, which were still hanging on his neck. Yet, Mr. President ignored all of that and still went ahead to appoint Akpabio as Minister of the all-important and sensitive Niger-Delta Ministry, even against the advice of well meaning Nigerians. The President, after appointing Akpabio as Minister, still went ahead and made him to supervise the NDDC. It is like giving a child the responsibility of overseeing a shop full of candies. That child will naturally do what makes him a child, which is to devour the candies.
It is almost as if President Buhari does not want the NDDC to succeed, hence he gave it out as a bone to a dog to keep. How will a dog be in custody of a bone, and you still want the bone to remain? It's not possible.
For me, President Buhari had worsened all the existing problems in the NDDC, by his actions since he came in for his Second term. We all know the NDDC already has its financial woes before this administration came on board, but President Buhari, in his second tenure, deliberately donated the NDDC to Akpabio and his 'loyal boys' who are ready to kill, to have a field day in feasting on the funds of the commission, which are meant for upliftmenting the sorry-image of the Niger Delta region.
The Nigerian elites, the press, and the Senate should also blame President Buhari for the current failures in the NDDC. All what is being revealed today by the said Senate Ad-hoc Committee concerning the financial recklessness in the NDDC, would have been avoided if only President Buhari had listened to good advice, and not giving the Commission over to Akpabio. President Buhari also created the problems in the NDDC right from the beginning of his second tenure by appointing the NDDC Board members/Executives, which were duly cleared by the Senate, and at the same time, suspended the Board so appointed, without any wrong doing or inauguration of the NDDC board members. And here we are blaming Akpabio for all that has happened in the NDDC. Akpabio didn't appoint himself, the President did, as such, he should also take responsibility for all that has gone wrong in the NDDC.
Even with all the allegations so far, President Buhari has kept mute, and has pretended as if all is well in the NDDC. A true/forthright leader, especially one who has supposedly taken a stand against corrupt practices in the country, should be seen to always timely take aggressive positions on issues of this nature in the public space. But up till now, Akpabio is still left by Mr. President, to keep causing more damages in the NDDC, and President Buhari does not seem to care.
I still maintain that President Buhari should be held accountable for the current wrong doings in the NDDC. The Senate has also failed because after their clearance of the NDDC Board members, they practically went to sleep, and waited for problems to reach peak heights before waking up to act. The said interim Board was actually unnecessary in the first instance. It was President Buhari who created another problem by appointing an interim committee, which ended up stealing more of the Commission's funds. The so-called interim Committee members all have useless roles. They were just put there to steal. Even the former acting MD of the NDDC interim Committee are all birds of same feathers.
After all said and done, what happens after the findings of the said Senate Ad-hoc Committee, and what actions Mr. President will take; will eventually tell Nigerians who are the real enemies of our nation. If after all these disturbing revelations are made to the public, and at the end of the day, those found wanting are not dealt with the full weight of the law, then we should acknowledge the sad fact that we are indeed doomed in this country. Let's earnestly pray that the right things should be done, at least for posterity sake.
Zik Gbemre.
July 11, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes