By Iteveh Ekpokpobe
The clamour for constitution of the Niger Delta Development Commission Board by stakeholders from the Niger Delta has hit the rocks, The Union Nigeria, can authoritatively state.
No one can clearly state when the board will eventually be constituted.
Former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, had on Sunday 30, May, 2021, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to inaugurate the substantive Board of the Niger – Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The ultimatum threw the country into tension. The federal government is battling terrorism in the north, and secessionists in the east. No one wanted militant resurgence in the south.
Hence after series of meetings at the Presidency, the Minister for Niger Delta, Chief Godswill Akpabio, was sent with strict instructions to parley the region’s stakeholders and find solution to the impending crisis, a source at the presidency told The Union Nigeria.
Four days after the seven-day ultimatum, precisely on June 3, 2021, Chief Godswill Akpabio landed Warri from where he proceeded to Gbaramatu Kingdom for an enlarged meeting of stakeholders in the Niger Delta Region.
The enlarged meeting which was well reported was all a meeting could be.
The Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barr Kingsley Otuaro and other leaders of clout were present.
Various stakeholders who spoke fumed. Akpabio was sweating at the receiving end. Those who attended the meeting as well as those who watched the live broadcast were convinced that the change was imminent.
But that was it.
Akpabio Meets Tompolo In His Den
The Niger Delta Minister, Akpabio proceeded to the Oporoza den of the ex-militant leader, Tompolo for a closed door meeting.
It was consequent on this meeting that, Tompolo suspended the seven-day ultimatum he gave to the federal government to inaugurate the board.
A source in that meeting told The Union Nigeria, that instead of taking his position, Tompolo deviated and presented personal issues before the minister.
This confirms details in the rumour mill at the time that the struggle was sold out.
According to the source, Tompolo presented details of projects allegedly executed by him which were yet to be paid by the commission. While in actual sense the projects belonged to his kinsmen and one senator.
“The projects which are desilting of creeks, were said to be worth over 11 billion naira. Tompolo disclosed that the former Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, including Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang, Mrs. Caroline Nagbo and Cecilia Bukola Akintomide, were not responsive to payment.
The source also stated that Tompolo moved that the office of the Chairmanship of the commission be given to his brother, Chief Dennis Otuaro.
It was gathered that, at that point, the cards started crumbling.
Akpabio was there on a Thursday, and the ultimatum was to end on Saturday, sensing the selfish inclination of Tompolo’s position and in a bid to beat the deadline, he assured them that International Oil Companies (IOCs) were going to release money to the commission on Monday.
It was learnt that Akpabio advised Tompolo to send the list of their payment, on Wednesday.
On their NDDC Chairman demand, the source said, Akpabio appealed to them that since the Managing Director slot was zoned to Bayelsa State, which will ideally produce an Ijaw man, it would only be fair that as the Chairmanship slot is coming to Delta State, it should go to other tribes.
Nevertheless, Tompolo insisted on his earlier position. But Akpabio urged them to nominate a commissioner instead.
Following the insistence of Tompolo, Akpabio agreed that they nominate three names to work with him in the selection process to which be Chief Denis Otuaro, Chief Keston Pondi, and Chief Godspower Gbenekama were nominated.
He also instructed that the credentials of Chief Denis Otuaro, be sent to the Sole Administrator of the NDDC, Mr. Effiong Akwa.
It was gathered that Akpabio left the meeting, very angry. He was disappointed, having thought that the call for constitution of a board was genuinely in the interest of the region.
The crux of the meeting was a no confidence vote on Tompolo.
Akpabio had met with Niger Delta stakeholders in Delta State on Thursday, after which he also visited Tompolo in his Oporoza den in Warri Southwest, Delta State on Thursday to talk him out of a possible fresh crisis in the Niger Delta over the delay in inaugurating a new board for the NDDC.
The minister said in a video recording that he had fruitful discussions with the ex-militant leader and other Niger Delta stakeholders.
Seven Days Ultimatum Dies
Arising from that meeting, Tompolo, in a statement on Saturday, June 5, 2021 called off the ultimatum.
He said his intervention in the matter was motivated by his “love for the region and Nigeria.”
“I make bold to say that I cannot be compromised by money and other material things,” he said, adding: “The only thing one can do for Nigeria in these trying times, where all the six geopolitical zones are in turmoil, is to pray to God for peace and tranquility, particularly for the economic hub of the country, the Niger Delta region.”
He said that following the minister’s pledge to “start the process of the constitution and inauguration of the substantive board of the NDDC immediately (from Friday June 4th 2021)” he (Akpabio) should be “allowed to drive the process to an end on or before the end of June 2021.”
He added: “As it stands now, I have accepted the outcome of the meeting reluctantly.
“It is pertinent to state at this juncture that I do not want anything to disrupt the relative peace we are enjoying in the region.
“It was on this premise that I accepted the outcome of the meeting. The ultimate goal in this issue is for the minister to abide by the promise he has made to start the process of constituting the NDDC board now.
Akpabio Visits Itsekiri Leaders
The Minister’s visit to itsekiri was to neutralize the position of the ijaws after sensing that they had weakened their negotiation with those demands.
Meanwhile, the Itsekiri’s pushed for the minister to also visit the itsekiri’s. This pressure came from Elema of Warri, Chief Emma Uduaghan.
The Minister who used the occasion to the visit the palace of the Olu of Warri in Warri South Local Area, spoke on burning issues around the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, assuring that a substantive board for the commission would be put in place at the end of the forensic audit going on in the commission.
He expressed hope that the audit would be completed at most by July this year, adding that the slight delay in the release of funds for the exercise made the issue drag till this time.
Continuing, he lauded the Itsekiri nation for her peaceful disposition, adding that the ethnic group would not be shortchanged on matters of development in the region.
The Regent, Prince Emma Okotie-Eboh, Prince Yemi Emiko, the Iyatsere of Warri kingdom and Acting Chairman Warri Advisory council/ Warri council of chiefs , Chief Johnson Amatserunleghe , Secretary of the Publicity committee for the coronation programme , Mr. Mathew Itsekure were among those in the palace when the Minister visited.
Prince Emiko who spoke, commended the Minister for the visit, adding that he should ensure Itsekiri nation was not neglected in the development programmes of the NDDC and his Niger Delta Ministry.
Senator Akpabio also made a stopover visit at the residence of the former governor of Delta state, His Excellency Emmanuel Uduaghan, where a confidence vote was passed on him.
The Itsekiri leaders also pushed for office of the chairman. Following their insistence, the Minister asked them to nominate someone. At this point, bickering didn’t allow them settle for one, hence, three names were nominated namely, Chief Tuoyo Omatsuli, Prince Yemi Emiko and Chief Martins Otuedon.
Abuja Politicking Began
In Abuja, at the Presidency, another dilemma ensued. Stakeholders met to constitute the board. The Union Nigeria gathered that the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege presented Dr. Benard Okumagba who was earlier cleared by the National Assembly.
However, a group consisting of the Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff and others in the villa nominated the immediate past Executive Director, Project of the esrtwhile Interim Management Committee, Dr. Cairo Ojoubgoh.
A source in the villa disclosed to The Union Nigeria that, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh had earlier represented the interest of the presidency well while in office as Executive Director, Project.
This objection did not sit well the DSP. It was gathered that he instituted a putsch in the senate.
A recent outburst by Cairo against the leadership of Omo-Agege in Delta State after the All Progressives Party, welcomed new defecting members led by the senator representing Delta North, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, cannot be unconnected to this development.
The NDDC Board Dilemma
The clamour for constitution of the Niger Delta Development Commission Board by stakeholders from the Niger Delta has hit the rocks, The Union Nigeria, can authoritatively state.
No one can clearly state when the board will eventually be constituted.
Several interest blocks in the Niger Delta have made it so. The Ijaw block, the Itsekiri block, the Deputy Senate President’s Block, and the Presidency are daggers drawn for who holds the reins of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Leader of the Itsekiri nation in Delta State, Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, on June 15, 2021 cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate against reappointing members of the dissolved substantive board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
She stated that doing so would amount to violation of the Act that established the interventionist agency.
The right activist also insisted that the communities with the highest oil production quantum in Delta State should produce the leadership of the commission.
Everyone has taken sides. The collective interest is dead. While all these happen, the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio continues with his show.
The only option for Niger Deltans is to watch…
