NDDC: Hold Your Federal Lawmakers Responsible For Underdevelopment, PDP Youths Tell Niger Delta People


The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youths have told the Niger Delta people to hold their federal lawmakers responsible for the underdevelopment in the region.

The PDP youths, under the aegis of South South Youth Vanguard, said that most of the projects that were supposed to bring development to the region through the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) have been misappropriated by the lawmakers.

The PDP South South Youth Vanguard, in a statement by its National Chairman, James Efe Akpofure, specifically noted that because of this misappropriation, two federal lawmakers, a Senator and House of Representatives member from Delta state are presently facing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). 

While it was noted that Hon. Nicholas Mutu, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 1999 and Chairman of NDDC, but has just been replaced, Senator Peter Uwanboshi on his part, is still the present Chairman, Senate Committee on NDDC. The Youth Vanguard said that their positions as chairmen didn't bring succour to the people of the region, as health facilities and other infrastructure were not developed.

The Youth Vanguard, which said that with all the billions pumped into the commission, no medical facilities has been built in the nine states control by the NDDC, lamented that it was unfortunate that these monies cannot be accounted for. 

The Youth Vanguard noted that if the billions appropriated by successive government were used for the region, the issues presently faced in the oil rich states as regard health facilities to take care of COVID-19 pandemic patients would not have arose. 

They added that agitations by the Niger Delta youths, problem of roads, health facilities and other related issues noticeable in the region would have been taken care of long time ago, if those vested with the authority to manage the funds coming to the commission have not misused, misappropriated and embezzled them. 

The Youth Vanguard gave kudos to the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio and the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari for constituting Interim Management Committee (IMC) to look into the financial records of the commission. 

Commending President Buhari for extending the tenure of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, the Youth Vanguard said that they know that the people that have been milking the commission will fight back, hence the allegation against the Committee. 

The Youth Vanguard said that there was never a time N40 billion was released for the Committee by President Buhari, adding that the N6 billion approved by the federal government has not been fully released.