Experts reviewing a study and the forensic report on the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) spanning the past 20 years of the commission’s existence have revealed why over 12,000 contracts were abandoned.
The study found that personnel of the commission compromised and cornered the larger chunk of payments made to contractors who abandoned the jobs.
The study was commissioned by the Social Action, in collaboration with MacArthur Foundation.
Reviewing the study which was launched in Port Harcourt on Thursday, February 24, at Visa Karina Hotel, a researcher and author, Osasu Isibor Ekpen (PhD), described the NDDC as a metaphor for sleaze.
He said the forensic audit report was a complete outrage. He said the north was going to become a gas region soon because of massive gas pipelines being laid. Northern governors met for six hours in a sensitive office in Abuja in 2019 deliberating on this.
He said the region has lost over N15 trillion or $40bn wasted in 13,377 contracts awarded and 12,000 abandoned. “Imagine a case of one senator getting 300 contracts with 120 paid for but no work done. Many senators must be involved.
“The forensic audit (FA) was intended to mock the Niger Delta over the waste of funds. The NDDC is a failed house. Northerners have their stooges in the oil region helping them to get what they wanted. Our people are the ones that help them. NDDC’s mathematical miracle was in 2019 when they allegedly awarded contracts worth many folds over their budget.”
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He hinted that the NDDC would soon be scrapped. “This is because many states have found oil and are demanding to be included: Anambara, Lagos, Kogi, Bauchi, etc. The nation, going by glimpses from the PIA (Petroleum Industry Act), may set up a National Development Commission (NDC) in line with the National Acreage talked about by the PIA for the development of all oil/gas-producing states. So, if the NDDC is scrapped, we may come back home to complain and write.”
On the way forward, the expert said no more designing projects from NDDC headquarters but to go to the benefitting community to design it with their input. “Let the community identify the projects and their needs.
“Contractor must be from or presented by the community of a project. The contract must answer to the community. Traditional and other community leaders must be the ones to measure milestones. Involve the youths in project execution.”
He demanded that all those involved in the looting as identified by the audit report be brought to book. “Let them know the meaning of accountability.”
Adding bite to the pain, Isaac Botti of Social Action who gave preamble for the book presentation, said the NDDC budget of 2019 had N346bn with the capital provision of N306bn to be funded from many sources, including the Federal Government N100bn, oil companies N230bn, etc.
He said the group monitored 172 projects in five states and found that 81 projects did not exist while 38 percent were abandoned. He urged citizens and groups to begin to write petitions on these findings.
Vivian Bellonwu of Social Action, unveiling the book described the event as a very important one in the annals of Niger Delta development. “NDDC is an interesting place. They were mandated to intervene, upgrade the infrastructure of the region, but now, how far?
“President Muhammadu Buhari has a keen interest in the Niger Delta. He was startled by the high volume of scandals from the place. He has made a very strong statement that whosoever is found liable will be dealt with.
“The twist is that nobody has seen the report, nobody has been prosecuted yet. We are here to raise attention to the situation once again for him to act. The publication is to help bring out the facts. Over 12,000 projects have been abandoned.
“Note that projects not even started are more than abandoned ones. There are many that never took off but money was fully paid. It’s mind-boggling.”
The heads of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) offered partnership and urged the people of the region to come forward and own up the anti-corruption fight.
