NDDC: Forum Accuses APC Senators, Minister of Delaying Confirmation of Buhari's Board Nominees
- sThe delay in confirming the board members of the NDDC is triggering agitations in the Niger Delta region
- Stakeholders in the region have accused some chieftains of the ruling APC of stalling the process for their own selfish interests
- President Muhammadu Buhari was also alerted that his party chieftains plan to frustrate his efforts in bringing development to the region
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FCT, Abuja - The South-South Emerging Leaders Forum (SELF) has alleged that some senators in collaboration with a serving minister are working to frustrate the confirmation of the board member nominees for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to the forum, the nominees forwarded to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari is being stalled in the upper chamber of the National Assembly so as to raise funds to prosecute elections in Rivers and Delta states.
Source: Facebook
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Monday, December 12, the forum's national coordinator, Barr. Benjamin Kwalowei, said the plot by the unnamed senators and the minister is
''to arrange a 3-month extension for the current acting NDDC Managing Director, pass the budget and raise money through the commission to prosecute elections in Rivers and Delta states."
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According to the statement, the plan is to frustrate the efforts of President Buhari and cause confusion in the region for their own selfish interests.
Part of the statement read:
"We have watched with keen interest the evil plot to cause confusion at the NDDC by the leadership of the Senate by unnecessarily delaying the confirmation of the NDDC board nominees as forwarded by the president.
"It will interest the world to know that such delay is strange and can not happen to a sister commission like the North East Development Commission (NEDC) in the region where the Senate President Ahmad Lawan hails from.
"We, therefore ask Senate President Lawan what the Niger Delta region has done wrong to deserve this kind of injustice whenever it has to do with the development of our region and its people?"
The forum, which comprises of various professionals from the region, however, called on the presidency to keep tap of the development and
''not to allow few selfish individuals to destroy the legacy of peace and tranquility President Muhammadu Buhari planned to leave behind in the Niger Delta."
The statement also urged leaders and elders from the south-south region, irrespective of their political parties, to speak up against the delay by the Senate to confirm the nominees of the president into the NDDC board.
Forum warns Omo-Agege over delay in NDDC board's nominees confirmation
SELF had earlier accused the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, as the brain behind the delay.
The group said Omo-Agege is plot frustrating the effort of the president and causing confusion in the region for his selfish interest.
They also urged the people of the Niger Delta region to ask Omo-Agege why he refused to allow them to send the nominees to the Senate committee on NDDC for confirmation.
Group reacts to court suit against minister of state for petroleum
Meanwhile, anti-corruption group Citizens Initiative for Better Nigeria, on Wednesday, December 7, asked the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva, to respond to the allegations against him in a recent lawsuit.
This came on the heels of a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1563/2022, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative against the minister.
The suit with the Director-General, Department of State Services, Inspector-General of Police and others as defendants, amongst other reliefs, accused the minister of identity theft, impersonation and forgery.
Source: Legit.ng
