…Says  Miss Niger Delta beauty pageant , a deviation

By Jimitota Onoyume

Arewa leader , Alhaji Musa Saidu has  urged President  Bola Tinubu to prevail on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to stick to the  mandate of the commission , saying the proposed Miss NDDC  beauty  pageant was a  deviation.

Saidu said he had  been greatly  disturbed since he saw  promo on several social media channels for the pageant , stressing that the commission was established as an  interventionist agency to tackle challenges  of underdevelopment in the region.

He said proposing a Miss Niger Delta NDDC  pageant as part of line up  to celebrate the 25 years anniversary of the commission was a gross distraction, adding that the commission should rather use the occasion of her 25 years of existence to inaugurate more development projects and tell how it has impacted communities positively across  member states.

He said beauty pageants  should be left for the private sector , stressing that the focus of the board should be how to rewrite the history of poor performance trailing the commission  that gave rise to the last forensic audit under former president  Muhamadu Buhari.

Saidu  said as one of those who fought for the creation of the commission alongside late Chief Harold Dappa Biriye, Chief Edwin Clark he  should cry out when the commission appeared  to be deviating from its mandate.

“NDDC now is doing beauty pageant , what  is the gain in terms of   development of the Niger Delta ?  This is not what Chiefs  Harold Dappa Biriye , Edwin Clark and others  fought for. NDDC was created to pursue serious development issues in the Niger Delta .

“The Presidential Amnesty programme, PAP,  is doing well but they don’t have the money NDDC has if not am sure they would even do  more under the current head . Niger Delta Basin  Authority is also trying it’s best.

“NDDC as an interventionist agency to be  organizing beauty pageant is a huge no,  no.

“They should look at the original mandate of the commission. This NDDC has deviated from its mandate. I am concerned because I was among those who agitated for its creation. I still remember my call for establishment of NDDC at Arewa House in Kaduna as the National  president  of Nigeria Youth Federation,  before  Chief Harold Dappa Biriye and other prominent Nigerians that  were there. Members of the defunct South south Peoples conference, SSPC,  were there. Precisely it was on  17 November 2000 at Arewa House. The northern delegation was led by the Emir of Ilorin.

” So many leaders of Niger Delta are all over complaining that the commission is deviating from its mandate. We want to see more roads.

“President Bola Tinubu should compel the commission not to deviate from its mandate. He should also increase funding for   the PAP and the Niger Delta Basin Authority.

“NDDC is doing solar lights but that is not enough. We want more developments, connecting bridges in riverine communities.

“The FG should not allow the commission rubbish its renewed hope agenda.

”  I am also calling that they mount the name of Chief Harold Dappa Biriye at the new headquarters of the commission. NDDC’S headquarter  was named after him when it was on Aba road in Port Harcourt. It should remain so now that the commission has moved to its permanent Secretariat.”

Saidu also advised the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr Olanipekun Olukayode,  to be mindful of his romance with the   NDDC.

The Chairman recently commissioned projects built by the NDDC in Bayelsa state  with funds recovered by the EFCC.