By Gabriel Ewepu

THE Oil and Solid Minerals Producing Areas Landlords’ Association of Nigeria OMPALAN, weekend, hailed President Muhammadu Buhari, over new Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, without governors’ interference.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, and President, OMPALAN, Bishop Udo Azogu, made available to Vanguard, while expressing

Oil producing communities’ satisfaction to President Buhari over his not involving Governors of oil producing States in the constitution of the new NDDC Board.

The statement also quoting Azogu said “a board that was dissolved by the President on grounds of incompetence cannot be partially retained and inaugurated. Azogu said the good people of oil producing States are clamouring for a brand new board.

According to the statement, Azogu pointed out that some oil producing State Governors and their lackeys were allegedly responsible for the under performance of the NDDC Board and underdevelopment of the region.

The statement also alleged that some Governors in the region use their fronts to perennially shortchange the entire system.

The statement reads in part, “The same Governors have been accused of diverting the 13% Oil Derivation fund established by the Federal Government to mitigate the misery and penury in impacted communities of oil producing States that are perennially ravaged by painful environmental degradation.”

The statement quoted the President of OMPALAN, Azogu as advising Governors in the region to focus on their “core mandate and stop dictating to Mr. President on matters affecting the while their respective domain are not faring better “

According to Bishop Azogu, “unbridled interference in the affairs of State Legislatures and Local Government administration by some State Governors have greatly undermined national security and stability because accountability does not work.

The OMPALAN boss also accused some governors of  sponsoring various threats on media platforms to stampede Mr. President to surrender the NDDC to them, which he said is hollow.

He concluded that “Nigerians are witnessing a paradigm shift from massive infrastructural decay to massive infrastructural developments in real terms across the six geopolitical zones of the Country under the present administration contrary to sponsored adverts of phantom projects on the pages of newspapers and websites by past administrations that were either poorly executed or none at all.

“The Country will witness massive development in all sectors of the economy if every arm and tier of government focus on their core mandates”, it added.

About OMPALAN

The Oil and Solid Mineral Producing Areas Landlords Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN) was established and is presently promoted by eminent Nigerians and Stakeholders from the Oil and Solid Mineral Producing States of Nigeria.

The Association is sustainably driven by technocrats from varied backgrounds focus on complimenting the efforts of Government and other critical Agencies in the Nigerian Oil and Mining industry with the mission improving the lives of vulnerable and depraved local communities endowed with hydrocarbon and other exploitable mineral deposits.

Our Objectives:

To assist Government where necessary to protect the environment from pollution and other hazards resulting from the operations of the Oil and solid mineral and related companies, natural disasters such as flooding, earth quake and to assist members to obtain adequate compensation for damage to properties and injuries to lives, livestock etc.

To foster peace and mutual understanding between players in the industry, Government /Agencies and the Oil /Solid mineral producing Communities from whose lands Oil and or Solid mineral or Petroleum products is being prospected and or exploited.

To assist the Oil/ Solid Mineral companies and or related establishment discharge their obligations / Community Social Responsibility to the Oil/Solid Mineral Producing Communities / Area.