Skip to main content

Civil Society Group Demands Sack Of Akpabio And Pondei Over Corruption In NDDC

A civil society group, Centre for Good Governance, asked for the dismissal of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Prof Daniel Pondei, over massive fraud and financial misappropriation in the agency.

The group expressed regrets that President Muhammadu Buhari was yet to relieve both men of their duties despite all the revelations of the sleaze going on in the organisation that had come to light.

In a statement, Head of Research and Documentation of CGG, Mr Douglas Azubuike, disclosed that a member of Aso Rock cabal had been shielding Akpabio from being sacked by the President.

He said, "We equally read with dismay a press statement by the President's spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, that President Muhammadu Buhari should not be stampeded into taking decisions over the high level of corruption in the Niger Delta Development Commission and that Nigerians should allow the processes to run their full courses.

"We found the statement distasteful, embarrassing and astonishingly disturbing. What more do we need to unravel.

"Nigerians have watched on television the monumental shame, disparagement and opprobrium the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC had brought upon the nation and the nauseating drama that characterised the probe.

"Just last week, we read a report in one of the national newspapers that Nigerian scholars abroad now resort to menial jobs to survive. Monies meant for their school fees and upkeep had been fraudulently diverted to private pockets of NDDC staff. Indeed President Muhammadu Buhari admitted in an interview he granted on Salah day of a breach of trust.

"Mr President, the NDDC scandals have revealed the wickedness of the Nigerian elites and sheer criminality.

"We have seen the plight and deprivation of the Niger Delta people, it is difficult to believe that this is what their elites are doing with the little opportunity given to them.

"Mr President, the buck stops with you. Nigerians overwhelmingly voted for you and not members of the cabal.

"The right thing must be done to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the region."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

937 People Killed In Attacks In Kaduna In 2020

At least 937 people died in violent attacks and mass atrocities in Kaduna State last year, an annual security report by the state government has shown. The report released Wednesday attributed the deaths to kidnappings, banditry and other criminal activities that cut “across all ethnic and religious groups” in Kaduna State. “Victims of criminal acts like banditry and kidnapping are to be found across ethnic, religious or political leanings and persuasions,’’ Samuel Aruwan, the state’s commissioner for internal security and home affairs, said while presenting the report. In his presentation, Mr Aruwan said that of the 937 killed, Igabi Local Government Area recorded the highest number of casualties (152), followed by Kajuru Local Government Area with 144 casualties. He added that Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local governments in Kaduna central accounted for about 50 per cent (or 468 deaths) of the entire fatalities in the state. Meanwhile, 286 died in Kaduna South from the viole...

Buhari Refuses To Act On Magu’s Probe Report Five Months After Submission.

President muhammedu Buhari Refuses To Act On Magu’s Probe Report Five Months After Submission One of Magu’s lawyers, Tosin Ojaomo, said Magu remained in the service of the Nigeria Police Force though the police has yet to post him anywhere after his suspension as EFCC chairman. Ibrahim Magu’s fate remains uncertain five months after the submission of the report of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to President Muhammadu Buhari. There have been concerns about the fate of Magu after the appointment and confirmation of Abdulrasheed Bawa as the new Executive Chairman of EFCC in February. Although sources in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the panel faulted some procedures in the management of recovered assets under Magu, the presidential white paper on the report had yet to be announced. One of Magu’s lawyers, Tosin Ojaomo, s...

$114.28m COVID-19 loan: SERAP asks World Bank to make Nigeria ‘publicly commit to transparency’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to the World Bank President Mr David Malpass, urging him to use his “good offices to encourage the Federal Government and 36 state governments to publicly commit to transparency and accountability in the spending of the $114.28m credit and grant for COVID-19, which the Bank’s Board of Directors recently approved for Nigeria, including by publishing details on a dedicated websit". SERAP also urged Mr Malpass to “put pressure on authorities and the 36 state governors to accept voluntary scrutiny by Nigerians and civil society regarding the spending of the funds and use of the resources, including on how they will spend the money to buy medical equipment, and improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene" The World Bank Board of Directors last Friday approved a $114.28 financing “to help Nigeria prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state level...