Mr. Nature Dumale, a Niger Delta Chieftain, applauded President Bola Tinubu’s move on Sunday to take back control of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Executive.
In a statement released in Yenagoa, Dumale, who is the National Secretary of the First Phase Ex-agitator, expressed praise on their behalf.
It is encouraging to learn that, like the North East Development Commission (NEDC), the NDDC will now report directly to the President.
“This new discovery feels like a prayer being granted. I had previously spearheaded a push for the commission to be directly under the President’s supervision, he said.
As the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme’s Strategic Communication Committee (SCC), Dumale stated, “Tinubu has, by this singular act, demonstrated his genuine intention to turn around the fortunes of the NDDC and, by extension, the Niger Delta region.”
He claimed that the Niger Delta has not developed over the years because avaricious people were permitted to turn several federal government efforts for the area into their own financial benefits.
“We in the Niger Delta region want to take this opportunity to thank Mr. President for the wisdom in bringing the NDDC back to the Presidency,” Dumale stated.
“We think that this will hasten the region’s development and end the practise of using the Commission as a cash cow.
“For us, the President’s summoning of the political will to return the interventionist agency to the Presidency is a proof that he has good intentions for the Niger Delta region. This indicates that he wants the NDDC to be properly supervised.
“As former agitators, we can state with confidence that poor management is to blame for the Niger Delta’s problems. Accountability and transparency will result from this action, and the much-touted development of the Niger Delta will materialise.
“This is one action Mr. President has taken to inspire hope in us as regional leaders. We think that the NDDC operating under the Presidency’s direction would promote substantial growth.
“The only time we saw any progress was when NDDC was directly supervised by the Presidency. The Niger Delta Cartel, whose sole goal is to keep the Niger Delta underdeveloped, turned it into a cash cow as soon as it was transferred to the Ministry of the Niger Delta.
In addition to the NDDC and the PAP, Dumale said that they had found the Niger Delta Recovery Plan (NDRP), which directs the ministries of petroleum, the environment, and Niger Delta affairs to collaborate in defining the region’s development.
“The Federal Government regularly takes away a lot from our lives, but we don’t get much of a return on their investment.
“The state of the East-West road’s Ogoni-Onne-Eleme Road immediately comes to mind. Free movement of products has been rendered impossible since the road has continued to be a death trap.
“We are standing behind President Tinubu and we await the swift development of our homeland with great enthusiasm and renewed vigour,” he said.
Dumale forewarned that the former agitators would no longer put up with poor administration of their commonwealth since they were equipped with the knowledge and tactics to hold their leaders accountable.
Dumale urged President Tinubu to order the NDDC to provide its forensic audit findings, adding that those liable for misusing the commission’s money must face justice. (NAN)
