Dr.Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer,Niger Delta Development Commission,NDDC.
*For whose interest are they working?
By Effiong Bassey
Over the years one of the major shortcomings of the federal government’s interventionist agency, which is the Niger Delta Development Commission,NDDC, is its inability to run seamlessly in a well constituted management as enshrined in the enabling law establishing it without interruption.
NDDC is perhaps one of the few federal agencies that has the unenviable record of having the highest turnovers of a ceaseless contraption called Interim management.This has been a bane as members of such shortly programmed management hardly settle down to draw up long term development plans before they are eased out for another.
The Interim Management as the name conotes, function within the palpable trepidation that their tenure is going to be shortlived and therefore initiate projects and programmes that are adhoc in nature. The antecedents have shown that some of those projects,no matter how laudable, end up abandoned as they are outlive the Interim administration that started them before they are dissolved for new ones to takeover. The succeeding administration may not be keen on continuing in executing the projects it did not initiate coupled with the endemic paucity of funds. No wonder there are plethora of abandoned projects by the agency in the nooks and crannies of the Nine States that co-own NDDC.
It therefore ,shows how warped and desperate individuals or groups who profess their love for the Niger Delta that is plagued with underdevelopment can be canvassing for the dissolution the current management that is well constituted and led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director and Chief Executive which is just a few months old.
Observers consider it as shocking that people who are are merely driven by primordial sentiments and stomach infrastructure will stop at nothing to upturn the applecart just to achieve their inordinate ambition to continue to fleece the region.
It is also sad and heartrending to see how desperate a section of some self-styled elders from the Niger Delta region can go to destroyed the hard earned reputation and personality of persons in a most wicked attempt to take control of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
They arm themselves with tar brushes to dent the image of the personalities in the management of the commission accusing it with unverifiable and unimaginable allegations of financial malfeasance.
In a stretch of a miserable link associating the futile plot for the tinkering Board and management of the Commission to the highest political leadership of the South-South region. It becomes gloomy for the region to be subjected to the whims and caprices of one man who has erroneously arrogated to themselves supreme powers to dictate who gets what in oil rich region. Just fo one reason.Selfish interest.
In the last two weeks, the news media has been awash with reports of a purported petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, by a self-styled amorphous group under the aegis of the “Niger Delta Elders for Good Governance” (NDEGG), calling for the removal of Chief Samuel Ogbuku ( PhD) current Managing Director of the NDDC.
The presumed leader of the pseudo group which has no known address and recognizable Palace, His Royal Highness (HRH) Chief Donald Ewere, in the said petition spewed inanities and absolute falsehood against Dr Ogbuku, thinking in their deceitful minds that the presidency will be swayed by their untruth.
In a failed effort to dent the image of Dr Ogbuku, the group went as far as trampling on his goodwill and reputation to prove that he is a corrupt and bad person. The Petitioner threw caution to the winds in a bid to so deceive and outlandishly alleged that Dr Ogbuku has mismanaged the sum of Three Hundred and Fifty Billion (N350b) Naira.
For the records, Dr Ogbuku only assumed duties as the Managing Director of the NDDC, on January 5th, 2023, he has barely been in office for about seven months. Verifiable records at the commission show that the Commission has not received such an amount as claimed by the group.
By speculating that there is a rift between the Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamala, over the position of the Managing Director of the commission, the group is only attempting to sow a seed of discord between the top government functionaries and use the MD of the Commission as pawn in powerplay.That will not work as Niger Deltans already know them and their greedy game in their every step.
It could easily be pointed out who is hiding behind the veil and beating the drums for the amorphous group which its members christened themselves as Elders of the Nigeria Delta. Look no further because it cannot be far from the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
This is because over the over the years, Senator Akpabio has this entitlement mentality that he must always call the shots concerning the running of the affairs of the NDDC, and always in a negative way. If he does not have his finger in the pile, he awkwardly pulls the strings from behind the scene to pull the house down.
In case of Ms Joy Nuniel, former Interim Managing Director of the agency, Akpabio meddlesomeness in the day to day running of the agency peaked with a rancorous scandal that became headline news in both the mainstream and social media that led foiled attempt to arrest her in the midnight at her residence in Port Harcourt. Former Governor Nyesom Wike had to come to her rescue.
It is however, significant to alert that Senator George Akume, the Secretary to the Federal Government may be backing the wrong persons in the wrong direction if he surreptitiously aligns with Senator Akpabio to fight against the reappointment of Dr Ogbuku into the incoming Board of the NDDC. The ground swell of opinion holds that the current MD is doing extremely well as and should be allowed to continue as the managing director of the commission.
In furtherance of Ogbuku’s administration’s efforts to refocus the Commission to key into the global best practices in the management of the agency, on Wednesday August 23,he led his management team to sign an agreement with KPMG, a multinational business management consultancy firm, to provide advisory services to the Commission on global best practices in corporate governance culture and internal processes.
Speaking during the signing ceremony at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Managing Director of NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, noted that partnering with KPMG, would help elevate the Commission’s processes to international standards.
He said: “Today is a ground-breaking moment. NDDC has been seen as a failure in the past, so we decided to adopt global best practices for our Corporate Governance culture and internal processes, hence the decision to engage the KPMG.
” We are ready to be internally regulated. Signing this agreement with the KPMG will boost the credibility of the NDDC and in the long term, enhance the development of the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku said that the objective was to strengthen the NDDC as an institution by instituting internal regulations that would outlive the current management. He noted: “For us to do things differently, we must do them according to international best practices. This is why we engaged KPMG to provide advisory services.
He said the agreement is part the drive of his administration to duly engage development partners and donor agencies; we believe this is a crucial step as it builds confidence that we not only have good governance but that we are also transparent.
Speaking earlier, Lead Partner and Head, Governance Processes, KPMG, Mr. Tolu Odukale, commended the NDDC leadership for partnering with the KPMG in the development of the Niger Delta region, noting that the relationship would boost the confidence of investors and development partners.
He promised that KPMG would bring all its skills and experiences to boost NDDC’s internal processes and ensure accountability and transparency.
In his remarks, the Executive Director Finance and Administration, NDDC, Major General Charles Airhiavbere (Rtd) noted that engaging the services of the KPMG will enhance the service delivery of the NDDC which will result in satisfaction of stakeholders.
Also speaking, the NDDC Executive Director Projects, Mr. Charles Ogunmola, commended the KPMG for partnering with the Commission, stating that the agreement would help the Commission in its reformation and transformation process.
KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax and advisory services, with an industry focus. KPMG is a global network.
Despite all the noble efforts of the present management,it should made clear to the naysayers it is within the law that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, reserves the right to appoint persons that will work with him and there is a clear divide between the functions of the Executive and Legislative arm which Akpabio heads.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can never abdicate his responsibility to the Senate President the privilege to influence appointments in the South-South region as canvassed by the group as the number three citizen and leader of the Niger Delta region even as the constitution is very clear on powers of the President of the country.
It is a height of disrespect to the office of the President of the Federation for the leadership of the group to assume the function of Mr. President and presume an anger and frustration against President Tinubu for ignoring their call for the removal of Dr Samuel Ogbugu and institute an interim government which the people of the region has consistently rejected.
One of the factors militating against rapid development of the region is associated with incessant change in the leadership structure of the interventionist Agency and the introduction of Interim Administration.
It is therefore laughable that for the past weeks both the mainstream and the social media have been inundated with spurious allegations that NDDC under the watch of the present management has allegedly squandered
N350b on unverifiable projects.
Niger Delta elders and other stakeholders alerted President Bola Tinubu to what they regarded as a face-off between one of his chief aides and the leadership of the Senate over the latter’s probe of the alleged illegal, wasteful and unverifiable expenditures at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the tune of about N350billion. How much can this self appointed Elders go to cook and dish out fathom stories? At what point did the Senate approval the budget for the Commission where a humongous amount of money such as alleged could have spent?
Niger Delta Elders for Good Governance and Accountability, the stakeholders also alleged that the Senate is miffed by the level of disrespect and usurping of the authorities of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio and the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, by an unnamed “Aso Rock official” over issues leading to the possible naming of a new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) for the Commission.
The question is: who is the “Aso Rock official”who is barely four months in office to be dragged into a selfish power game of one man?
According to the group, while the Senate President and SGF want a change of guard at NDDC to promote economic growth and development in the region in line with President Tinubu’s mandate, the particular Presidential Villa (Aso Rock) top shot was alleged to have vowed to retain the present MD, Dr. Samuel Although the group cowardly could not name the “Aso Rock official”,suffice it to state that unnamed must have seen through the veil wild allegations as mere coverup to ‘give dog a bad in order to hang it’.
The elders and and the socalled stakeholders, in a statement issued via electronic mail, to newsmen and signed by their pointman and unknown High Chief Donald Ewere, without a known Palace had called on President Tinubu to caution his aide who, they noted, had vowed to retain Ogbuku allegedly against the wishes of the people of the Niger Delta region.This is not only uncharitable but demeaning for a faceless group masquerading as the untainted representative of the vast majority of the region.
While immodestly revealing his sponsor, Chief Ewere, canvassed for respect by accorded the Senate President who is the country’s number three citizen and a leader of the Niger Delta. What Ewere and his co-travelers fail to realize is the Akpabio was elected by his Senatorial District in Akwa-Ibom to make laws and the Presidential democracy, a Senator President is not supposed to meddle into who gets what appointments. Appointment of public officers is strictly within the purview of Mr.President.
He unfortunately, did not school his errand Elders that the journey they are embarking on to pull down the present management structure of NDDC with Ogbuku as the main target is an outright meddlesomeness on inalienable rights of President Tinubu.
They going as far as blackmailing unnamed Aso Rock aide urging him to ”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, and he has turned a blind eye to the ongoing allegations of multi-billion Naira funds misappropriation at the NDDC”, only succeeded in further blowing open the boiling point of the desperation of the sponsor.
Making fake and spurious allegations look real the group claims that “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 being perpetrated against the Niger Delta people.”
Where are the proofs of evidence?
They expressed their anger and frustration against President Tinubu for ignoring calls to remove the MD/CEO, dissolve the Commission’s Board and allow the “most qualified director” to handle its affairs pending the constitution of a new Board, alleging that the lack of accountability at the NDDC had brought the Commission to financial ruins.
For the palpable fear that their ballooned allegations would definitely be punctured with a pin,”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 that the President should ask these sponsored jobbers how many votes did 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,” they stated.
The veered off from the main issues of merit and competent management of NDDC to partisan politics when the socalled elder and stakeholders offered to expose what they described as the shoddy and disloyal role of a leading politician from Bayelsa State and Dr. Ogbuku ahead of the February 25 Presidential poll.
This is puerile, cheap and mundane as the allegation of political loyalty are as wild as they can be. Are they pointedly claiming that on day of the Presidential poll they were in their various polling units and wards and were simultaneously at Dr Ogbuku’s polling units to note who and how he mobilize and voted?
They also decried the lack of meaningful development in the oil and gas-rich region despite the trillions of Naira extracted from the region. For this, they are right. But they too must share in the blame because their likes are the standby tools always available for use pull down genuine efforts to develop the region.
Perhaps due to deliberate and selective amnesia, they forgot that their sponsor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was the Minister of Niger Delta whose main preoccupation then was to superintend the Forensic auditing of the NDDC knows the truth about the income and expenditure of the agency.
The Elders reminding the President that, according to them: “The National Assembly approved the total sum of N876 billion budget for Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the 2023 financial year.
“This was sequel to the consideration and adoption of the report of the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Out of the amount N34.24billion was for personnel expenditure, the sum of N17.47 billion was for overhead expenditure, the sum of N3.71 billion was for internal capital expenditure and the sum of N490.55 billion was for development projects for the service of the NDDC for the financial year ending March 31, 2024.And because of that:
“We are calling on President Tinubu and the SGF Senator Akume to dissolve the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer and allow the most qualified director to handle the affairs of the commission, pending the constitution of a new Board before it’s too late to salvage the Commission”, shows how cheap and low the hatchet men are.
However, what men,women and youths of the region and should be concerned about now is how cooperate with the present management of the Agency and not dwell in “Pull Him Down” PHD syndrome.
Close observers are of the considered opinion that the sponsor of the amorphous Elders and stakeholders are intimidated by the laid out management goals of the present administration of the Agency in line with a known Fisher of talents, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Expectedly, they are terrified that the Agency would not remain a cash cow for them to exploit. So, to ensure that the management is distracted and the President cowed by churned out media blackmail Dr Samuel Ogbuku would be eased out of the place to pave way plant their cronies and puppets.
Observers consider the skewed media attacks on Ogbuku’s administration by Senator Akpabio as not only unwarranted but uncalled for . He has been advised that has a job cut out for him as the Senate President to show good leadership in the Senate by making laws that will promote the wellbeing of Nigerians. And it is too early in the present administration that is less than five months old for anybody to be encroaching into the primary responsibilities and powers of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to appoint whomsoever he wants without forceful prodding by likes the fathom Elders and their hidden sponsors like Akpabio.
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Dr.Effiong Bassey, a Public Affairs commentator writes from Port Harcourt.
ENDS