Douglas Blessing
Niger Delta ex-agitators have commended President Bola Tinubu for the reported decision to return the supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) back to the Presidency.
The National Secretary of the First Phase Ex-agitators, Mr Nature Dumale, who spoke with journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, said it was heart-warming to hear that the NDDC would henceforth report directly to the President like the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
Dumale, who is also the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Strategic Communication Committee (SCC) said Tinubu had by the action demonstrated his genuine intention to turn around the fortunes of the NDDC.
He said the development was like a prayer answered and recalled that he had in the past led a campaign for the commission to be directly supervised by the President.
The ex-agitator insisted that the Niger Delta had suffered lack of development over the years because greedy individuals were allowed to convert many interventions by the Federal Government for the region, into their personal estates.
Dumale said: “We want to use this opportunity to appreciate Mr. President, for the wisdom in returning the NDDC to the Presidency.
“We believe that this will speed up the development of the region, and stem the culture of turning the Commission into a cash cow.
“As ex-agitators, we can boldly say that the Niger Delta has been suffering because of mismanagement. This move will engender accountability, transparency and the much touted development of the Niger Delta, would become a reality.
“This is one step Mr. President has taken to give us hope as leaders in the region. We believe that the NDDC under the supervision of the Presidency would facilitate meaningful development.
“The only time we experienced some development was when NDDC was under the direct supervision of the Presidency. As soon as it was moved to the Ministry of Niger Delta, it became a cash cow, for the Niger Delta Cartel, whose only agenda, is to keep the Niger Delta underdeveloped”.
Dumale said they discovered that apart from the NDDC and the PAP, there was a Niger Delta Recovery Plan (NDRP), which mandated the ministries of petroleum, environment and Niger Delta affairs, to work in synergy in articulating the development of the region.
He continued: “We live in an environment where a lot is taken away on a daily basis by the federal government, yet there is little to show for it. The condition of Ogoni-Onne-Eleme Road, which is part of the East-West road, comes to mind. The road has remained a death trap making it impossible for free movement of goods.
“We are standing behind President Tinubu and we await, with great enthusiasm and renewed vigour, the speedy development of our homeland”.
Dumale warned that the ex-agitators were empowered with education and strategies to hold their leaders accountable and would no longer tolerate mismanagement of their commonwealth.
Dumale called on President Tinubu to compel the NDDC to make public, the forensic audit report on the commission, insisting that persons responsible for diverting the resources of the commission must be held accountable.
