The leaders on the platform of Niger Delta Elders for Good Governance and Accountability, also claimed that the Senate is not happy by the depth of disrespect shown to the persons of the Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume over the nomination of a new Niger Delta Development Commission’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
According to the group, while Akpabio and Akume are rooting for positive change in NDDC in accordance with the vision of President Tinubu, Gbajabiamila is said to have vowed to keep the commission’s current Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogboku in his position.
In a statement signed on its behalf by High Chief Donald Ewere, the group urged the President to caution his Chief of Staff to spare a moment of thought for the good people of the Niger Delta region.
“The elders and stakeholders expressed their anger and frustration against President Tinubu for ignoring calls to dissolve the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officers and allow the most qualified director to handle the affairs of the commission, pending the constitution of a new board, stating that the lack of accountability at the NDDC has brought the commission to financial ruins.”
In his words of High Chief Ewere, Akpabio deserves some respect given his standing in the nation’s political hierarchy and a stakeholder in the Niger Delta region.
“Gbajabiamila should respect the views of the people of the region. He is just a presidential aide and a non-Niger Deltan that does not understand the plight of the Niger Delta people; a man that has turned a blind eye to the ongoing allegations of multi-billion naira funds misappropriation at the NDDC.
“For example, the NDDC allegedly spent N150 billion in three months between January to March 2023 as reported to the Senate Ad hoc Committee and has since then spent over N200 billion in unverifiable projects. Within the last few weeks alone, the NDDC has paid over 72 unverifiable distilling projects worth N650 million each, totaling over N46 billion. This is insanity, and it seems like no one in the Presidency cares or is even trying to stop this evil that is been perpetrated against the Niger Delta people.
“The elders and stakeholders called on the President not to give listening ears to sponsored and paid sycophants in the media urging him to retain the Managing Director of the NDDC, but the President should ask these sponsored jobbers how many votes his presidential campaign win in these individuals areas and local governments, despite the fact that these individuals were holding these offices throughout his presidential campaign and failed to support him but rather, they allegedly contributed to support the opposition,” the statement read in part.
Meanwhile, the group vowed to expose the antics of former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and Samuel Ogboku’s role in the course of the Presidential election, saying,
“Major ex-militant leaders from the region met with Dr. Samuel Ogboku to sponsor some campaign programmes for Bola Tinubu in the Niger Delta States. He promised to get back to them but later dumped the idea after consulting with Chief Timipre Sylva.
“It is on record that these ex-militant leaders were sent to Ogboku by the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana O Umana to support Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign in the South-South region, but to the delegation’s surprise, the NDDC MD refused to support the campaign after allegedly speaking with his boss the former Minister, Timipre Sylva as they were counting on the opposition to defeat Tinubu.
“It is also on record that between Timipre Sylva as the then Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Samuel Ogboku the Managing Director of the NDDC, both of them could not win their wards or local government in Bayelsa state for the Tinubu’s campaign during the Presidential election.
“They allowed the opposition to win it all, so how can such people that allegedly sabotaged Tinubu’s presidential campaign, now be nominated by Tinubu’s Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to oversee the Niger Delta region, unless the multi-million-dollar bribery allegations that are trending on social media are true,” the statement added.