New NDDC Board: Scrap Niger Delta Ministry, oil communities tell Tinubu

Oil and gas bearing communities of the Niger Delta region have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from incessant financial crisis by scrapping the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry.

The oil communities noted that in order to give the NDDC a sense of direction and avoid undue interference in its daily affairs, NDDC needs to be detached from the strangle hold of the Ministry and its finances directed to boost the treasury of the Commission.

Speaking shortly after the announcement of the new NDDC board by President Tinubu Tuesday night, in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Joseph Ambakederimo. Convener, South-South Reawakening Group. (SSRG) and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas, CDC, said such decision was necessary to enable the NDDC perform maximally within the context of available resources.

Ambakederimo however said that the reappointment of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku shows clearly the grasp of President Bola Tinubu of the challenges of the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta. “The policy direction of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as enunciated in the last eight months of his leadership must have resonated well with the President’s aspiration for the region which must have led the President to have settled for his leadership”.

He said that for the NDDC not to be encumbered “we urge the President to domicile the NDDC in the office of the secretary to the government of the federation as it was before for less political interference. The NDDC cannot be tied to the apron strings of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development. The Ministry is a distraction for the NDDC because of unholy interference.

“It is our considered opinion that this present board is allowed to serve out its full term so that we can begin to hold them to account. Anything short of this becomes counterproductive to the development of the oil producing areas.

“The fifteen percent contribution from the Federal government has become inadequate therefore we urge the President to immediately send an executive bill for the amendment of relevant sections of the NDDC establishment Act to increase its share of contribution to 25%”.

According to him, the 3% contribution from the oil and gas companies must be increased to 10% while funds due to the NDDC from the share of ecological funds released to states should be increased from 50% to 70% and an appreciable percentage of gas flare charge should be paid to the Commission.

Ambakederimo called on President Tinubu to “scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Development because the MNDD since its creation twelve years ago has failed woefully with no verifiable project traced to it, Including having overlapping functions with the NDDC. Channel the budgetary provision of the MNDD to the NDDC for proper utilisation of the funds for provision of development infrastructure and capacity building of the youths of the region.

“It is the NDDC that reaches the remotest communities that produce oil and gas that fuels the Nigerian economy. These communities bear the brunt of ecological devastation. Therefore, more funds should be ceded to the NDDC to continue to provide infrastructure development and better life to the inhabitants of these communities”.