OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU

His Excellency,
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
State House, Aso Rock Villa,
Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria

A solution to the NDDC Failure: An opportunity to bring lasting change and development to the Niger Delta.

The Agadiwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state, High Chief Michael Johnny calls for Forensic Auditing of NDDC and Nonextention of chief Samuel Ugbuku led NDDC administration.

I re-congratulate you on your election at the 2023 presidential polls. This has thrown an opportunity for you to serve Nigerians.

Mr. President, your administration has the opportunity to seize this moment and righten the failures of NDDC.
As good as the intention of creating the NDDC was, if after years and over US$15 billion allocations, and there has not been a proportionate achievement, then the premise of NDDC is wrongly footed.

As part of measures to end the increasing fraud and gross under performance
Of the NDDC, your Excellency i employ you to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), The State Security Service (SSS) or Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate Kickbacks irregularities in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) against contractors.

Sadly, Since the establishment of NDDC, the core mandate of developing the Niger Delta region is not well achieved, as The developmental maladies still persists year in year out.

This is becoming worst in the hands of Chief Dr Samuel Ugbuku led NDDC administration as activities are in transverse to the core mandate of developing the region, with NDDC positioned as a conduit pipe for siphoning Niger Delta’s common patrimony.

Unravelling the plight of Contractors it will interest Mr President to know that Kickback has predominantly been operational in NDDC’s dealings with contractors, Leading to the Death of Most contractors, who took loans from Banks to complete their jobs without pay, because they can’t meet up conditions for kickbacks.

Outrageously, Your Excellency contractors are asked to kickback as high as ₦50million for a contract sum of ₦250million which is barbaric in every sense of the word.

It is with great pain that i write to inform you Mr president that NDDC now operates with selected contractors who agrees to this kickbacks thereby subjecting the region to perpetual underdevelopment.

Our leader, President Bola Tinubu, The current administration of the NDDC has recorded the highest level of corruption since inception, The MD of the Commission Chief Samuel Ugbuku and his cohorts awards contracts to only 3 companies, these companies who are partners in Fraud with the Board kickbacks 10% of any contract awarded to chief Samuel Ugbuku and his co-masterminds.

Again, Mr president the Niger Delta region is in need to Infrastructural development to ameliorate the sufferings of the people, but despite the huge allocations to the Chief Samuel Ugbuku led Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC administration, the Board has contracted over 90% of its projects to the installation of Solar powered street lights across the Niger delta, which is not the a pedestal for development in the Region that is most under developed in the Nation.

Your Excellency, in the wake of the ongoing Nationwide protest, Niger Delta youths took to the street to protest against the NDDC, that despite the huge allocations to the Board, the current administration is only concerned about Street lights. A gesture that raises questions like ‘Can street lights boost Education, Reduce poverty, upgrade infrastructure and all-round development of the Region?’ The answer is No.

Mr President as a concerned Niger Delta Stakeholder, one who believes in your administration’s policy Direction, I appeal to you not to consider the Reappointment of the current MD of the NDDC Chief Samuel Ugbuku after his Tenure or any member of the current NDDC board, as they clearly lack the understanding of the yearnings of the people neither do they possess the capacity to drive your policy through infrastructural development in the region.

Mr. President, my father and leader take this from me, if Mr. Samuel Ogbuku or any of the board members re-appointed I High Chief Michael Johnny will lead thousands of youths to protest against it and the federal government.

Your Excellency, these are not mere allegations but the reality in the NDDC, I’m advocating for a Forensic Audit of the activities of the current NDDC administration, if this is done it will further expose other corrupt areas of the board under Chief Samuel Ugbuku. This is why myself (High chief Michael Johnny) and other concerned Niger Delta Stakeholders are calling on the Presidency, National Assembly, Minister for Niger Delta Development and other relevant stakeholders not to Reappoint chief Samuel Ugbuku for a second term, because doing so will be giving rise to more corruption in NDDC, which will bring only suffering and under development to the region.

Mr president, To end the continued ugly trend of retrogression there’s need for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), The State Security Service (SSS) or Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate Kickbacks irregularities in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) against contractors and other Fraud in the commission.

Signed:
High Chief Michael Johnny
The Agadiwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state, Nigeria.