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A leadership accountability group in the Niger Delta Region, Niger Delta Network (NDN), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order the EFCC and ICPC to thoroughly investigate the former sole administrator of NDDC.

The group made the call in a petition sent to President Muhammadu Buhari and signed by Chief Kennedy Adams Coordinator, (NDN),Eric Igbinokpogie Esq , Acting Secretary General, (NDN) and Dr. John Douglas Director, Public Communications, NDN.

The Niger Delta Network further drew the attention of President Buhari’s administration to the recent disclosure by the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, alleging fraudulent award of contracts amounting to over N300 billion without due process by the past sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission, during a meeting with staff of the Commission in Rivers State, recently.

The petition read in part, “Mr. President, we have reasons to believe that it was on the basis of trust that the presidency in 2019 approved and allocated resources to back the forensic audit which purpose was to check myriad of fraudulent activities in the NDDC in the past years. It is however sad, disheartening and rudely shocking to discover that under the same NDDC regime which had such high level of public trust, is alleged to have committed the worst and most devastating fraud in the history of the commission”.

“The development of our region has unfortunately been hampered by the aforementioned. It becomes the proverbial case of the custodian of the communal yam barn, stealing yams for himself. There can be no justification for the insidious impunity and high level corruption endemic in the Commission inspite of federal government’s efforts to sanity the system”.

“Mr. President, one would be puzzled by the antithesis of your administration being so popular in the news to have made genuine efforts backed by heavy funding towards the development of the Niger Delta region, yet, so infamous among Niger Deltans when and where it concerns the impacts of these efforts. The solution to this puzzle might be visible when one considers the development that over N300bn well utilised would have brought”.

Meanwhile, the group has also hinted that as good governance and public accountability group, advocating for the development of the region, they demand for the following, “That ALL contracts issued within his tenure as the sole administrator SHOULD as a matter of urgency be investigated”.

“That ALL contractors and beneficiaries of prayer (2) should be invited for questioning”.

“That Mr. President should direct the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to immediately publish list of contracts awarded by both the Ministry and NDDC as well as the immediate auditing of personnel of NDDC”.

“That Mr. President should stay true to his promise to make public the white paper of the forensic audit”.

Moreso, the group finally commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his genuine efforts at developing the Niger Delta region and while prayed to God to continually to give him the enablement to do more.