Buhari: We Will Implement the NDDC Audit Report in Stages

Ibekimi Oriamaja reports.

President Muhammadu Buhari declared yesterday that the Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NDDC) forensic audit report was already being implemented in stages, assuring that the process would soon usher in a new management and board for the Commission.

The president also promised to complete the East-West Road before the end of his presidency, instructing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and its subsidiaries to step in and repair Section 4 of the road (Eleme Roundabout to Onne junction) using the Tax Credit Scheme.

In a keynote address at the opening ceremony of a two-day top management retreat organized by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for its officials and those of the NDDC, Buhari stated that the audit report and its recommendations were being implemented in stages.

The administration did not, contrary to popular belief, dump the report.
On September 2, 2021, while receiving the report, the president threatened to use relevant laws to correct the deficiencies outlined in the audit report, noting that this would include, but not be limited to, the launch of criminal investigations, prosecution, and the recovery of funds that were not properly used for the public purposes for which they were intended.

“Unquestionably, the federal government has made significant commitments to the Niger Delta region in furtherance of its desire to give the people a new lease on life,” said President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented at the retreat at the State House in Abuja by Minister of Transportation Muazu Jaji Sambo.

Responding to regional issues has been a priority for this administration. We are enacting more prudent policies and programs to improve the Niger Delta region.

“It is encouraging to see that the ministry has prioritized the NDDC’s repositioning in order to ensure that they meet their objectives and mandate.” This is demonstrated by its efforts, which resulted in the Commission’s headquarters building complex being completed and commissioned in March 2021, providing the Commission with a suitable operating base.

“In response to the south-call south governors’ request for a forensic audit of NDDC from inception to 2019, I implemented some critical reforms and requested a forensic audit of NDDC from inception to 2019.” “The audit report has been submitted, and implementation of its recommendations has begun in stages,” the Commission said. “This process will soon usher in new management and a new board of directors.”

Buhari stated that the expanded retreat, which included the governors of oil-producing states, chairmen of relevant Senate and House committees, oil companies, ministries, departments, and agencies, was a veritable platform for major decisions toward effective collaboration to derive value for money in all of the region’s stakeholders’ developmental initiatives.

He threatened to prosecute future fraudulent practices and procurement law violations under the Public Procurement Act.

The president emphasized the significance of strengthening the Strategic Implementation Work Plan (SIWP), a framework that focuses on the strategic objectives raised in the federal government’s 20-point Agenda and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum’s (PANDEF) 16-point Agenda, in order to provide a strategic framework for the coordination of development initiatives in the Niger Delta Region to achieve maximum impact at this critical time.

He also stated that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs had been mandated to conduct a comprehensive staff audit of the Commission, ensuring proper staffing and placement, in order to strengthen the NDDC’s internal structure.
“As a result, I urge all well-meaning Nigerians, particularly Niger Deltans, to exercise restraint and create a conducive and secure environment for the region’s various developmental projects and programs,” he added.

He also stated that the East-West Road project, which is currently underway, is one of Nigeria’s largest infrastructure projects, and that it is very strategic in that it connects the country’s busiest and most important commercial cities in the region.

Its completion, he said, was a priority for his administration, and he promised it would be done before the end of his presidency.

“As a result, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and its subsidiaries should intervene via the Tax Credit Scheme to repair Section 4 of the East West Road (Eleme Roundabout to Onne junction.”

“Given the importance of the road to our national economy,” he said, hoping that the outcome of the retreat would result in the NDDC repositioning itself to work amicably with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as clearly stated in public service rules.

Umana Okon Umana, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, stated in his address that his vision was to use the few months remaining in the administration’s tenure to make a significant impact on the region’s development, adding that it was his desire for the ministry and the NDDC to collaborate and synergize vigorously in order to leave a more prosperous Niger Delta region.

He stated that his priority would be result-oriented and impactful activities during his limited tenure in the ministry, while soliciting the collaboration of development partners and other stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of policies and programs aimed at regional development.

The ministry, according to Umwna, has made commendable progress in repositioning the NDDC to fulfill its original mandate.