The interim management committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has continued to flay the two committees of the National Assembly with oversight functions on the Commission.
In Asaba, Delta State capital on Saturday, while presenting items said to be worth N450m to the Nigerian Police, NDDC executive director (projects), Cairo Ojougboh, told the Asaba monarch that he did not steal and would never steal.
He rather countered that the NDDC was in the grip of some national lawmakers whose activities, he alleged, were stumbling blocks and should, therefore, be critically examined for Nigeria to move forward.
“They want to take the NDDC back to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which supervised it for about 15 years. In those years, N3 trillion was committed and the SGF and the National Assembly didn’t see what was happening. Now that the NDDC has started to make progress, should it return to where it came from?
“I am 60 years old now. So if I don’t say the truth now, when will I say it? Your majesty, be assured that I have not stolen and I will not steal,” he said.
He had earlier told the police leadership that all the palliatives being distributed by the commission would not have been possible in the past because some people in the National Assembly would divert the funds.
“Before now, the two chairmen of NDDC committees in the two chambers of the National Assembly were the de facto managers of the NDDC.
“When the IMC came on board, we said that we cannot continue on that path. We want to assure Nigerians that we will no longer allow the chairmen to arm-twist us. You have seen the probe in the National Assembly where the lawmakers are the prosecutors and the judge in their own case.
“We thank the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and Nigerians for standing by the Interim Management Committee, IMC. We assure that we will continue to deliver on the mandate of the NDDC,” he said.
Ojougboh had earlier paid a courtesy visit to the Asagba of Asaba, Obi Chike Edozien, at his palace, where he informed him of the launching of the COVID-19 medical equipment and briefed him on what was going on in the NDDC.
In his response, Obi Edozien asked to be briefed on the place of Asaba in the activities of the NDDC. “I ask because I am not seeing much of the benefits,” he said.
The Asagba, however, noted that Ojougboh was always welcome in Asaba as one of his chiefs, noting: “We did not make any mistake to confer on you the Akinuwa of Anioma.”
