What FG must do to resolve NDDC, N’ Assembly face-off, by Ijaw youth leader

By Patrick Okohue

Immediate past President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Comrade Pereotubo Oweilaemi has called on the Federal Government to invoke the National Inquiry Act to empanel reputable Nigerians to carry out a holistic investigation into allegations and counter allegations bedeviling the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Oweilaemi, a lawyer, specifically called on the government to set up a panel to investigate the activities of the supervising Minister to the NDDC, Godswill Akpabio and the Interim Management Committee (IMC), in the manner that the presidency in the same manner did to the former Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu so as to unearth the mysteries behind the allegations against them, while the accusers, the National Assembly ad hoc or standing Committees on Niger Delta should be investigated properly by the antigraft agencies.

Speaking in an interview with The Daily Times, the Ijaw youth leader said unless such a body is empanelled to investigate the NDDC saga, the people may never be able to get to the root of the matter.

According to him, “The presidency should invoke the National Inquiry Act to empanel reputable Nigerians in order to carry out a holistic investigation of all allegations and counter allegations against the interim management team of the Commission and members of the National Assembly.

“The NASS is in all senses of probity, prudence and accountability lacking the natural principles of fair hearing to investigate corruption in NDDC when its members are accused of neck deep in the largesse.

President Buhari should immediately intervene to unravel the truth. “I used to say in different fora that NDDC is swimming in a cesspool of corruption. Indeed, the purpose of its establishment has been defeated.

Though IYC under my watch supported the IMC because of the way and manner Buhari disobeyed the NDDC enabling Act in constituting that botched substantive board. However, we didn’t support them to be soiled in the looting spree.”

He also called on the government to dissolve the IMC of the NDDC and set up a substantive board to manage the affairs of the body, “My sincere appeal therefore is that Buhari should disband the IMC immediately.

He should just appoint a substantive board in line with the NDDC Establishment Act, 2000 while the forensic audit goes on.

The Commission should be removed from Akpabio’s coordination in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and be given back to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“The forensic audit should also cover the periods Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Coordinating Minister to NDDC and the IMC are holding sway at the Commission. Buhari should leave no stone unturned if he is fighting corruption.”

The youth leader also spoke on calls for the scrapping of the amnesty programme for repentant ex-militants in the Niger Delta, saying doing so will be tampering with the life wire that is holding the existing peace in the Niger Delta.

He said, “The plan to scrap the Presidential Amnesty Programme is uncalled for because that Programme is the life wire that is holding the existing peace in the Niger Delta.

The FG should know that what led the Niger Delta youths to revolt against the government is not still largely resolved.

The Amnesty Programme is the reason why the region is peaceful up to this moment. Any move to scrap the Programme means an invitation to anarchy. Of course, it will be difficult to pacify the agitating boys.

“The Amnesty Programme was even phased into three segments which are: Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) for the first segment; Rehabilitation for the second segment, and Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP), for the third segment.

Granted that the first segment has successfully been carried out which was the DDR. However, we are still in the second segment which is the rehabilitation process.

The entrepreneurial and educational training processes currently going on are part of the Rehabilitation.

“The last segment has not been implemented which is the massive development of the region.

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All the developmental programmes bankrolled by the Yar’Adua’s government as part of SIWP were abandoned by successive governments.

The coastal highway was one of those laudable projects. “Until the SIWP is being implemented, Buhari or anybody coming after him has no moral rectitude to cancel the Programme. Agreement is the basis of contract.

This is what late President Yar’Adua agreed with the freedom fighters before they laid down their weapons.

The present government should not unnecessarily stir the Niger Delta youths to anger.”