Who-will-save-and-cure-nigeria
September 7, 2020 | News
WHO WILL SAVE AND CURE NIGERIA?
The subject is one question that is earnestly begging for an answer. This is evidently because of what has been happening in the polity of late. A situation where those within and around the Government space and its agencies/commissions, who are the ones that are supposed to judiciously use our collective wealth to better the living standards of the general masses, and transform our infrastructural demands; are still the same set of persons mindlessly stealing the public funds under their care with reckless abandon and impunity. A situation where the sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region, have turned the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which ought to be a channel through which they are supposed to improve the economic fortunes of their very own people and have the region transformed to be like Dubai; to a conduit pipe for the easiest pilfering of the nation’s fortunes into their private pockets. A situation where the very same people in Government, who are supposed to be responsible and accountable Custodians of our collective wealth, have become irresponsible men and women without integrity and who cannot be trusted by the people. A situation where those meant to fight corruption, are themselves suspected to be stained by the very same thing they are supposed to be fighting. I can go on and on. But it simply paints a picture of hopeless and despair, as to what would become the future of this country, if things continue the way they are going?
The one that has shocked many, and still the subject of discussion across the polity, is the drama in the NDDC. While we are still trying to come to terms to some of the mind disturbing developments in the Commission, more facts are revealed daily to further shock the Nigeria people. In a recently circulated video online by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director of Projects in the NDDC, he said: “Let me make this clear. The Hon. Speaker and the President of the Senate are not aware of what the Chairmen of the Committees are doing in the National Assembly. And even members of the committees are not also aware. It is just One-man squad. Between 2016 and 2019 emergency contracts of over N2 trillion were awarded under the supervision of the Chairmen of both committees. And I have the list of how the contracts were distributed. In the list, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta collected 1000 of those jobs and said he was going to share it among the senators, but the senators denied knowledge of such contracts.
“We have the records. These 1000 contracts were collected by a man called Nelson Agbamuche purportedly on behalf of the Senate. The immediate crises that we are witnessing is as a result of the budget. How did the budget run into problem? The bureaucracy told us when we came in 2016 that there was no budget, 2017 there was no budget. 2018 there was no budget. The budget for 2019 was passed some few weeks ago. What led to it? When a Chairman of Senate Committee came in 2015, he called the bureaucracy of NDDC and told them to insert jobs worth N15 billion for him, they went back and complied. But when the budget was sent to him, he said he did not mean N15 billion but N150 billion. The bureaucracy went back but couldn’t comply because there was no way they could do that. The Chairman advised them to award the contract as emergency jobs so that they won’t go through the due processes. That was how the emergency procedures were breached and the commission presently has liabilities of over N3 trillion. How can this continue? And that is what the IMC and the Hon. Minister said we have to write in. It didn’t just stop there. The Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta came to us and brought out emergency training programme for N6.4 billion and said that he has met the first milestone and that the commission should pay him N3.7 billion. We said this milestone you are talking about cannot be paid because you have not done it. He said the job belonged to the speaker and we said we cannot pay. We went and met the Speaker and the Speaker said he was not aware of such a thing. This was not in the budget at all.
“When they passed the 2019 budget, the Chairman, House committee included it and insisted we must pay the money and we said we cannot pay. They said the IMC has stolen N40 billion, how can that be possible? All the payments we have made on projects were duly verified. I took my time as the Executive Director Projects, to go from State to State to verify the projects and document them. Whenever we are satisfied that you have done jobs that merit payments, we will pay you. And we were not paying as they used to pay so the contractors are very angry. Before now, once you have a contract in NDDC, it was like you have won a lottery. A contract in NDDC that was awarded for N700 million can be executed with N10 million to N20 million. But we brought in changes. When we inspect the projected, we look at your Bill of Engineering Quantity and rate the job that you have done and issue you the interim payments certicate for that Job. And through this process we have saved the commission over N50 billion already. Can you believe it that since the inception of NDDC the Agency has not done even 10 kilometres of dualized road in Niger Delta? Reputable companies like Julius Berger has never been engaged to execute projects in Niger Delta.” What a shame!
In The Advocate, anchored by Liborous Oshoma, while analyzing recent happenings in the country, he started with: “According to Birago Drop, a Senegalese poet, “If we tell gently, gently, all that we shall one day have to tell. Who them will hear our voices without laughter…? You probably would have heard of four seasons of loneliness by Boys II Men. Ours is a four Seasons of Corruption, “Magu FC and Malami FC have logged horns in a fierce battle of revelations of who is more corrupt. Akpabio Strikers and Nunieh Slappers, are there thrilling their fans to a market place nakedness of Cambridge slap, oxford husbands. Yet, we the spectators have been distracted from the weighty matters of monies meant for the development of the Niger Delta region, which have found their way into private pockets.
“How about the allegations of corrupt enrichment and financial impropriety leveled against Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation? Are they also going to end up in the realm of social media? Remember, ICPC also recovers and manage assets too. When are we going to look into their books? And the only answer I get from all of this is that: ‘if you Malami me, I will Magu you. If you say I helped myself to recover loot, I will say you awarded oil contract to someone who is standing trial for oil theft. If you sack me for insubordination, I will say you bought an expensive house for your son, and threw a lavish party for him.’ But the Port-Harcourt babes, or Port-Harcourt boys, Ducan Mighty should be collecting royalty for the use of his rhymes…If you Akpabio me, I will Nunieh you. If you try to entangle me, I will slap you. And if you say I stole, I will say you married four husbands. And if you say I don’t have NYSC certificate. I will tell how your girlfriends are the ones supplying diesel to the NDDC. If you say I will sack you for insubordination, I will report all that you stole. Looking at the two people involved here, they look good together as I see love in their eyes.
“So, what corruption in NDDC has brought together, let no probe put asunder. I learnt they are looking for how to arrest her now. Yet, this is supposed to be the Interim Management Committee, and it is to forensically audit activities of NDDC, according to the uncommon transformator, who received a common slap from a common MD, who is his subordinate. Is President Buhari aware of all of these happenings? He’s never aware. Anyway, let’s wait until the Attorney-General of the Federation-Malami, may have written him another memo. Or is the Government just a change in the looks, or just the usual script from an old drama? How many of us remember Honourable Hembe and Arumah Oteh? Like my young colleague would say. The season of absurdity of the decade.
“I would therefore advocate that as the Government is auditing the EFCC, the terms of Reference of Justice Makami’s panel, should also be extended to cover ICPC as an anti-graft agency responsible for recovering public funds. They should also show us their books, to ensure that recovered loots are not re-looted. And as Magu is suspended, the Attorney-General of the Federation should also be asked to step aside for thorough investigation into the activities of his office, against these weighty allegations of corruption and financial impropriety. Lastly, Akpabio and his Interior Management Committee should also be suspended, the NDDC Board should be properly re-constituted, and an independent Forensic audit appointed to clinically, audit the commission, and whoever is found culpable, should be thrown away to jail. That way, the President would have shown that there’s indeed a new vigour in the fight against corruption. But well, I have my doubts. Abeg clear road for Jagajaga as yeye de smell. No be Nigeria we de?”
We have been shown viral pictures online of N2.3 billion Elebele Bridge in Ogbia LGA in Bayelsa State. NDDC awarded the contract in 2018, which was completed in 2020. And Nigerians are be shown this to note thatL “when they are fainting, know why they are fainting.” Let us also be reminded that former President Goodluck Jonathan is from Ogbia land, as Otueke Town is one of the Towns in Ogbia land of Bayelsa State. In another viral online post.
These are many more are some of the sad and unfortunate tales of the oil and gas-rich South-South of the Niger Delta region, which produces more than 90% of the earnings of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What a national tragedy. Again, who will save our country Nigeria?
For the NDDC, we are aware that the resolution of the Senate, which was sequel to the adoption of recommendations of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee, investigating the alleged misappropriation of N40 billion by the current IMC, amongst other things recommended that: 1. The IMC should refund the monies it paid to its staff as relief for Covid-19, to be made to the NDDC’s Account; 2. That all expenditures on historical contracts and obligations like hotels, court judgment among others be refunded, as the payments were not provided for in the budget; 3. That henceforth, the NDDC should report directly to President Muhammadu Buhari; 4. That the President should dissolve the IMC and set up a board for the commission; 5. That oversight of the forensic audit should be transferred to the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, to ensure transparency, and that Federal Government should appoint a renowned auditor to supervise the forensic audit. According to the upper legislative chamber, the continued cash injection in the Niger Delta has not worked under the various IMCs. The Senate harped on the need for government to intervene, by stepping down the IMC and properly constitute a board with specific mandate, to address the pains of the Niger Delta people.
Though, I have in several occasions written about this on the way forward for the NDDC, I am glad that some Stakeholders like Comrade Joseph Evah, are also reiterating this stance; that the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari Should scrap the NDDC, as well as the 13% funding, and give the monies to construction giants like Julius Berger, as done by Yakubu Gown and Ibrahim Babangida in their days, for the aggressive infrastructural development of the Niger Delta to be like Lagos and Abuja. I also believe that there are indeed well-seasoned technocrats in the region, who can transform the region if given the opportunity. But until those in Government set aside nepotism, favoritism, ethnicity and start considering the appointment of persons strictly by merit, into sensitive public offices, we will continue to take one step forward and three steps backwards in the country’s developmental strides.
Zik Gbemre.
July 24, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
The subject is one question that is earnestly begging for an answer. This is evidently because of what has been happening in the polity of late. A situation where those within and around the Government space and its agencies/commissions, who are the ones that are supposed to judiciously use our collective wealth to better the living standards of the general masses, and transform our infrastructural demands; are still the same set of persons mindlessly stealing the public funds under their care with reckless abandon and impunity. A situation where the sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region, have turned the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which ought to be a channel through which they are supposed to improve the economic fortunes of their very own people and have the region transformed to be like Dubai; to a conduit pipe for the easiest pilfering of the nation’s fortunes into their private pockets. A situation where the very same people in Government, who are supposed to be responsible and accountable Custodians of our collective wealth, have become irresponsible men and women without integrity and who cannot be trusted by the people. A situation where those meant to fight corruption, are themselves suspected to be stained by the very same thing they are supposed to be fighting. I can go on and on. But it simply paints a picture of hopeless and despair, as to what would become the future of this country, if things continue the way they are going?
The one that has shocked many, and still the subject of discussion across the polity, is the drama in the NDDC. While we are still trying to come to terms to some of the mind disturbing developments in the Commission, more facts are revealed daily to further shock the Nigeria people. In a recently circulated video online by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, the Executive Director of Projects in the NDDC, he said: “Let me make this clear. The Hon. Speaker and the President of the Senate are not aware of what the Chairmen of the Committees are doing in the National Assembly. And even members of the committees are not also aware. It is just One-man squad. Between 2016 and 2019 emergency contracts of over N2 trillion were awarded under the supervision of the Chairmen of both committees. And I have the list of how the contracts were distributed. In the list, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta collected 1000 of those jobs and said he was going to share it among the senators, but the senators denied knowledge of such contracts.
“We have the records. These 1000 contracts were collected by a man called Nelson Agbamuche purportedly on behalf of the Senate. The immediate crises that we are witnessing is as a result of the budget. How did the budget run into problem? The bureaucracy told us when we came in 2016 that there was no budget, 2017 there was no budget. 2018 there was no budget. The budget for 2019 was passed some few weeks ago. What led to it? When a Chairman of Senate Committee came in 2015, he called the bureaucracy of NDDC and told them to insert jobs worth N15 billion for him, they went back and complied. But when the budget was sent to him, he said he did not mean N15 billion but N150 billion. The bureaucracy went back but couldn’t comply because there was no way they could do that. The Chairman advised them to award the contract as emergency jobs so that they won’t go through the due processes. That was how the emergency procedures were breached and the commission presently has liabilities of over N3 trillion. How can this continue? And that is what the IMC and the Hon. Minister said we have to write in. It didn’t just stop there. The Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta came to us and brought out emergency training programme for N6.4 billion and said that he has met the first milestone and that the commission should pay him N3.7 billion. We said this milestone you are talking about cannot be paid because you have not done it. He said the job belonged to the speaker and we said we cannot pay. We went and met the Speaker and the Speaker said he was not aware of such a thing. This was not in the budget at all.
“When they passed the 2019 budget, the Chairman, House committee included it and insisted we must pay the money and we said we cannot pay. They said the IMC has stolen N40 billion, how can that be possible? All the payments we have made on projects were duly verified. I took my time as the Executive Director Projects, to go from State to State to verify the projects and document them. Whenever we are satisfied that you have done jobs that merit payments, we will pay you. And we were not paying as they used to pay so the contractors are very angry. Before now, once you have a contract in NDDC, it was like you have won a lottery. A contract in NDDC that was awarded for N700 million can be executed with N10 million to N20 million. But we brought in changes. When we inspect the projected, we look at your Bill of Engineering Quantity and rate the job that you have done and issue you the interim payments certicate for that Job. And through this process we have saved the commission over N50 billion already. Can you believe it that since the inception of NDDC the Agency has not done even 10 kilometres of dualized road in Niger Delta? Reputable companies like Julius Berger has never been engaged to execute projects in Niger Delta.” What a shame!
In The Advocate, anchored by Liborous Oshoma, while analyzing recent happenings in the country, he started with: “According to Birago Drop, a Senegalese poet, “If we tell gently, gently, all that we shall one day have to tell. Who them will hear our voices without laughter…? You probably would have heard of four seasons of loneliness by Boys II Men. Ours is a four Seasons of Corruption, “Magu FC and Malami FC have logged horns in a fierce battle of revelations of who is more corrupt. Akpabio Strikers and Nunieh Slappers, are there thrilling their fans to a market place nakedness of Cambridge slap, oxford husbands. Yet, we the spectators have been distracted from the weighty matters of monies meant for the development of the Niger Delta region, which have found their way into private pockets.
“How about the allegations of corrupt enrichment and financial impropriety leveled against Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation? Are they also going to end up in the realm of social media? Remember, ICPC also recovers and manage assets too. When are we going to look into their books? And the only answer I get from all of this is that: ‘if you Malami me, I will Magu you. If you say I helped myself to recover loot, I will say you awarded oil contract to someone who is standing trial for oil theft. If you sack me for insubordination, I will say you bought an expensive house for your son, and threw a lavish party for him.’ But the Port-Harcourt babes, or Port-Harcourt boys, Ducan Mighty should be collecting royalty for the use of his rhymes…If you Akpabio me, I will Nunieh you. If you try to entangle me, I will slap you. And if you say I stole, I will say you married four husbands. And if you say I don’t have NYSC certificate. I will tell how your girlfriends are the ones supplying diesel to the NDDC. If you say I will sack you for insubordination, I will report all that you stole. Looking at the two people involved here, they look good together as I see love in their eyes.
“So, what corruption in NDDC has brought together, let no probe put asunder. I learnt they are looking for how to arrest her now. Yet, this is supposed to be the Interim Management Committee, and it is to forensically audit activities of NDDC, according to the uncommon transformator, who received a common slap from a common MD, who is his subordinate. Is President Buhari aware of all of these happenings? He’s never aware. Anyway, let’s wait until the Attorney-General of the Federation-Malami, may have written him another memo. Or is the Government just a change in the looks, or just the usual script from an old drama? How many of us remember Honourable Hembe and Arumah Oteh? Like my young colleague would say. The season of absurdity of the decade.
“I would therefore advocate that as the Government is auditing the EFCC, the terms of Reference of Justice Makami’s panel, should also be extended to cover ICPC as an anti-graft agency responsible for recovering public funds. They should also show us their books, to ensure that recovered loots are not re-looted. And as Magu is suspended, the Attorney-General of the Federation should also be asked to step aside for thorough investigation into the activities of his office, against these weighty allegations of corruption and financial impropriety. Lastly, Akpabio and his Interior Management Committee should also be suspended, the NDDC Board should be properly re-constituted, and an independent Forensic audit appointed to clinically, audit the commission, and whoever is found culpable, should be thrown away to jail. That way, the President would have shown that there’s indeed a new vigour in the fight against corruption. But well, I have my doubts. Abeg clear road for Jagajaga as yeye de smell. No be Nigeria we de?”
We have been shown viral pictures online of N2.3 billion Elebele Bridge in Ogbia LGA in Bayelsa State. NDDC awarded the contract in 2018, which was completed in 2020. And Nigerians are be shown this to note thatL “when they are fainting, know why they are fainting.” Let us also be reminded that former President Goodluck Jonathan is from Ogbia land, as Otueke Town is one of the Towns in Ogbia land of Bayelsa State. In another viral online post.
These are many more are some of the sad and unfortunate tales of the oil and gas-rich South-South of the Niger Delta region, which produces more than 90% of the earnings of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. What a national tragedy. Again, who will save our country Nigeria?
For the NDDC, we are aware that the resolution of the Senate, which was sequel to the adoption of recommendations of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee, investigating the alleged misappropriation of N40 billion by the current IMC, amongst other things recommended that: 1. The IMC should refund the monies it paid to its staff as relief for Covid-19, to be made to the NDDC’s Account; 2. That all expenditures on historical contracts and obligations like hotels, court judgment among others be refunded, as the payments were not provided for in the budget; 3. That henceforth, the NDDC should report directly to President Muhammadu Buhari; 4. That the President should dissolve the IMC and set up a board for the commission; 5. That oversight of the forensic audit should be transferred to the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, to ensure transparency, and that Federal Government should appoint a renowned auditor to supervise the forensic audit. According to the upper legislative chamber, the continued cash injection in the Niger Delta has not worked under the various IMCs. The Senate harped on the need for government to intervene, by stepping down the IMC and properly constitute a board with specific mandate, to address the pains of the Niger Delta people.
Though, I have in several occasions written about this on the way forward for the NDDC, I am glad that some Stakeholders like Comrade Joseph Evah, are also reiterating this stance; that the National Assembly and President Muhammadu Buhari Should scrap the NDDC, as well as the 13% funding, and give the monies to construction giants like Julius Berger, as done by Yakubu Gown and Ibrahim Babangida in their days, for the aggressive infrastructural development of the Niger Delta to be like Lagos and Abuja. I also believe that there are indeed well-seasoned technocrats in the region, who can transform the region if given the opportunity. But until those in Government set aside nepotism, favoritism, ethnicity and start considering the appointment of persons strictly by merit, into sensitive public offices, we will continue to take one step forward and three steps backwards in the country’s developmental strides.
Zik Gbemre.
July 24, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes