New Telegraph

FG short changing N’Delta states with NDDC interim arrangement –Okowa

Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, passed a damning verdict on the inability of the Federal Government to constitute the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) despite entreaties by the governors and the people of the region.

 

The governor, who also reeled out his giant strides to include the dualization of the Asaba-Ughelli-Warri Federal highway, the Inter-Change Flyover along Asaba-Onitsha- Ibusa to Warri highway, said the central government, has by so doing, engaged the region in another round of deprivation, marginalization and degradation.

 

Governor Okowa during the Quarterly Media Interaction at the Unity Hall Government House, expressed displeasure over the insensitivity of the Presidency to constitute the Board, following the law establishing the Commission.

 

He recalled how the position of the South South zone Governors was jettisoned and an unlawful Interim Management Committee (IMC) was put in place to operate for two years. He said: “We have made our position clear as South South Governors.

 

We have spoken about how we feel and it is very unfortunate that where we are at the moment, it ought not to be so. We have not had a proper board for over two years now and that is not right. ”Whatever situation the NDDC are operating with now is unknown to the law of this country.

 

NDDC has been operating on irregularities as oil bearing states have been deprived of its statutory representation due to the inability of the Presidency to constitute a board to run the affairs of the Commission.”

 

He continued: “The more important thing is that states are now being deprived of the opportunity of having their representatives on the board because behind the Managing Director and the executives, you have state representatives who are able to understand that the budget of the Commission is run in the way it ought to be, with what is due to each state, getting to them.”

 

He said the provision in the law ensures that there is  harassequity and some levels of integrity to ensure that no state is short changed. He urged the Presidency to make haste in constituting the board in accordance with the law governing it. He decried the present state of the country where state governments cannot pay salaries of workers.

 

He said: ”What we have been receiving from Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) is lower than what we expect even when the oil prices are up.”

 

While he called for a critical insight into the budget of the Federal government for 2022, which was at odds with the current economic situation of the country, he charged the Federal Government to re-strategize its economic plans to change the fortunes of the country

Read Previous

#EndSARS: Lagos releases White Paper, faults JPI report

Read Next

Court voids deposed Kano Emir, Sanusi’s banishment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *