The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill
Akpabio, has asked for more funds for the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC) which he said is broke.
The commission was in the news towards the end of last year
over allegations of corruption running into billions.
At a public hearing of the national assembly, Akpabio had
accused federal lawmakers of being beneficiaries of corruption.
But speaking on Friday at the NDDC Strategic Capacity Building Workshop in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, Akpabio said the funding system is poor because budgetary provision for the commission is staggered and does not come as and when due.
The minister, who called for an amendment to the laws
establishing the agency if need be, said he was determined to leave the NDDC
better than how he found it.
“The commission is broke because the funding system is poor.
We must leave NDDC better than what we found it. If it means the lawmakers have
to tinker with the law, so be it” he said.
Akpabio cited corruption, weak political and institutional
governance, transparency and accountability in performance information, and
lack of proper consultation and engagement with the communities and State
Governments among others as challenges plaguing the commission.
“Corruption is one of the greatest problems of the Nigerian
society and it also finds its ugly and devastating effects in all sectors of
the polity including the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“The level of corruption engulfed all the sectors including
government, parastatals, ministries, government officials and community leaders
even the youth leaders and NDDC was not left out in the act.
“Weak political and institutional governance in the Niger
Delta has led to the misuse of public resources, poor service delivery, and the
poor enforcement, of the law.
“The consequence has been the lingering restiveness, the
breakdown of trust, abuse and misuse of power between officials and the
communities, and embezzlement and attendant violence.
“The current funding patterns and budgeting processes must
embrace these best practices, in order to achieve the best we can, while asking
for more funding to do even more sustainable projects and programmes,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Interim Administrator/Chief
Executive Officer of the commission, Mr Effiong Akwa, said the retreat was in
furtherance of consultation with stakeholders of the commission for the speedy
development of the region.
Akwa, who stated that NDDC was done with its unsavoury past,
said continuous consultation and collaboration for effective development was
now the focus of the commission.
He called on stakeholders of the commission and Niger Delta
to join hands and work together for the benefit of the the people.
“We are here today in furtherance of our ongoing
consultations with internal and stakeholders of the NDDC to distil
commonalities among stakeholders for speedy development of our beloved Niger
Delta region.”
“The NDDC is born again. Contrary to its unsavoury past
ways, the core of our new personae is continual consultations and collaboration
with stakeholders to co-create commonalities for effective development of the
Niger Delta.
“I beckon on all stakeholders of the NDDC and the Niger
Delta, please come and let us reason together. Please come, let us work
together to create common way forward for the benefit of our people,” he
stated.
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