I have keenly watched and followed the recent probe into the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC by the two chambers of the National Assembly and shocked at the revelations and unwantom attacks on the Forensic Audit committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari which I see as a timeless necessity. And as a citizen of Nigeria and a Niger Deltan, posterity will surely judge me wrongly if I choose to be silent in the face of a high profile rot in a commission supposedly meant to better the lives of the people of the region but crippled by corruption.
As far as I am concerned, an audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC is of immense imperative at this very critical period of our political sojourn and it must be done without any iota of politicking nor further delay or distractions to ascertain and expose criminal elements of the National Assembly and others as alleged by the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, Senator Godswill Akpabio. Those who serially raped the Commission dry and silly since it's inception in 2001, for example should be made to account for their unholy stewardship that created the ugly rot we are in today. By this, I mean they should be brought to book to face the law in the overall interest of our people who have been mostly robbed and denied the purpose of setting up the Commission ab initio.
Truth be told that many people, mostly senators and House of Representatives members from the Niger Delta region, for political reasons are against the Forensic Audit because of some fear of the unknown and sheer hatred for the Interim Management Committee, IMC especially Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, a Soja of truth who will never cover up the mess of any criminal element and it feels bad that those who have been mostly hit by the actions and inactions of these dubious elements in our midst are the same people calling for the head and even the disbandment of the IMC because they do not want the forensic audit to see the light of the day as it will expose their looting escapades.
The Forensic Audit committee is just seven months in office and doing very well as expected by the President. This is an incontestable fact known only by people of sane mindset but what about those who have been running the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC for about 19 years? They should be brought to answer questions too rather than attacking a team with good intention. Many of these lawmakers are indeed criminals who have converted the NDDC into a cash cow to milk money into their personal pockets and bank accounts. Why are they so afraid of the forensic audit if their hands are clean?
You see, the most saddening and mostly shameful part of it all is that those who are suffering hunger, deprivation and poverty are joining these thieves to pull down the audit committee just to truncate their mandate and thwart their effort. In a sane clime, the people should be rejoicing that political looters and rapists who plunged them into untold hardship are being exposed to face the wrath of the law. Why not allow the committee conclude their assignment and probe them thereafter? To me, an auditor can be audited. With all of this comedy of absurdity, these lawmakers in my opinion are culpable and are even the real looters that should be investigated.
Given recent developments, however, I hope the two chambers of the National Assembly will get to the root of it all and identify culprits and bring them to justice for raping the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC dry and silly for many years. To be quite honest, the recent order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Gbajabiamila on the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry, Senator Akpabio to produce names of corrupt members of the National Assembly involved in the rot in the NDDC within 48 hours is a clarion call that should be lauded by all Niger Deltan. Enough is enough.
vincentjude4c@gmail.com.
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