New Telegraph

NDDCgate: Step down for investigation, NANS tells Akpabio

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and others indicted in the corruption scandal rocking the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to step down in order to give room for proper investigation and audit of their activities.

 

NANS made the call in a statement by its Senate President, Gambo Abu Mohammed, on Sunday.

 

The apex students body said it decided to lend its voice to the ongoing corruption scandal in order to protect the interest of youths and students in the Niger Delta region whose lives and wellbeing will be directly affected by the activities of NDDC as the body set up to make life better for the people of the oil rich region.

 

The statement read: “The Senate Secretariat of NANS have observed with utter dismay the recent ignominious fiasco playing out by the Interim Management Committee of NDDC and it’s supervisory Minister, after careful consideration of the revelations into the activities of the agency by various members involved, it’s only sane for the actors to recuse themselves by stepping down while the verification and hearing into the colossal fraud revealed lasted.”

 

Mohammed called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently wade into the crisis by asking those accused of fraud to step down “ while the audits, as well as the hearing from the National assembly Committee is concluded.”

 

“The riot act read to MDAs by the President and conveyed by his Media Aide, Mal. Garba Shehu isn’t enough to the flagrant disobedience shown by members of his cabinet,” the statement read. “The Niger Delta region deserves a better deal considering the humongous budgetary allocation year in year out, hence the NDDC and it’s supervisory ministry must be purged. The National assembly must be allowed to perform its constitutionally saddled function.”

 

While calling on all actors in the case to allow the NASS perform its duty of oversight function, the NANS Senate President said “the parliament remains the conscience of every virile democracy and it should be seen to be discharging such responsibilities of oversight into government expenditures without hindrance or disrespect, as provided by our constitution and National assembly act, with a view of blocking wastages, manifest corruption and corrupt practices like the those exposed by Ms Joi Nunieh in NDDC.”

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