Niger Delta Network berates those opposing the Ministerial directive for a personnel audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, saying the audit process was initiated by the presidency and not the Minister of Niger Delta, Obong Umana Umana.
By Emeka Samuel
A group, Niger Delta Network has berated those opposing the Ministerial directive for a personnel audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, saying the audit process was initiated by the presidency and not the Minister of Niger Delta, Obong Umana Umana.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Uyo on Monday and signed by its Director of Public Communications, Dr John Douglas, the group faulted calls for resistance to the audit process, saying the accusation that the annexation of the NDDC was commissioned by Umana is baseless.
“It can no longer be business as usual for unscrupulous persons who used NDDC funds to finance personal or sectional interest, vowing, “time to do things differently starts now.” It said.
“No one whose recruitment is legal, lawful and legitimate, will oppose or fret over a Ministerial directive for a personnel audit of the NDDC”
“It is on record that the annexation of the commission was initiated by the presidency. The transfer of the supervisory role of the NDDC from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, did not start under Mr Umana Umana.” It maintained.
The statement insisted that the new Minister is emphatic on righting the wrongs in the commission and would not allow such media attacks to dampen his resolve.
“One thing is certain though, there is a new dawn in both the NDDC and the MNDA. It can no longer be business as usual. Unlike in the recent past when corruption was a direct principle of State policy which saw NDDC funds being used to finance personal or sectional interest, the time to do things differently starts now.
“Except those who perpetrated or benefited from the faulty, flawed and fraudulent staff recruitment exercise, lovers of good governance will attest that the ongoing reforms are meant to ensure that processes and procedures are transparent, and followed due process.
“No one whose recruitment is legal, lawful and legitimate, will oppose or fret over a Ministerial directive for a personnel audit of the NDDC.Abuse of office and public trust must give way to due process, transparency, accountability etc.
“If our priority is for peace and development of the Niger Delta region for the good of her people, then we must encourage the ongoing initiative geared towards the implementation of reforms that will reposition both the NDDC and MNDA towards living up to their statutory responsibilities.
It would be recalled that the minister had resolved in implementing his strategic Ministerial Action Plan of ensuring among others,the compilation/Publication of list of all completed projects in the NDDC awaiting payments for public scrutiny.
It also suspended all further award of contracts on water hyacinths in the Niger Deltathe ; the implementation of recommendations of review of the Forensic Audit Report into the operations of the NDDC and the constitution of the board of the NDDC in line with extant laws.
