Niger Delta ex-militant leaders have commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ending “business as usual” in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by initiating the ongoing forensic audit of the commission’s activities.
The former creek warlords under the auspices of the 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC) said the initiative of Buhari has opened a rare discussion on the corruption ravaging the commission.
The Leader of CYNDAC and self-styled general, Izon Ebi, said for the first time in the history of NDDC, issues surrounding the audit had led to naming and shaming of persons allegedly involved in looting the region’s commonwealth.
Ebi noted that the President took a wise decision when he handed over the supervision of the commission and the audit to the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs and the Interim Management Committee of NDDC.
The ex-militant leader observed that the ministers and the IMC have made the President proud by refusing to connive with persons with the intentions of mortgaging the commission but instead chose to expose them.
He said: “The 21st CYNDAC applaud Mr President for initiating the forensic audit of the NDDC. For the first time since the creation of the commission, a probe has been initiated to look into the reason why the commission is not delivery on its mandate.
“For the first time, names are being mentioned as those responsible for the sustained rot in the commission. Irrespective of how the forensic audit and the national assembly’s probe/inquisition goes, one thing is certain, it cannot be business as usual.
“For those renegade politicians who have been part of the looting of the commission coming out to clamour for the return of the commission back to the Presidency so as to forestall adequate supervision by the ministry of Niger Delta affairs, for the free for all looting to continue, we the 21st CYNDAC reiterate our stance that we will resist that with the last ounce of our blood”.
Ebi added: “The commission will never again be a playground for economic vampires. The 21st CYNDAC cannot understand the rationale behind the clamour by some renegade discredited politicians who have never commented on the wanton looting of the commission over the decade coming out with a tar brush to paint the ministry of Niger Delta affairs and the IMC in bad light, and the only recommendation given by the political jobbers is return the NDDC to the Presidency.
“For years, the NDDC has been the cash cow where discredited politicians use to fund their election, and that is the major reason why being a member of the committee on NDDC is a highly sought after committee in both chambers of the National Assembly.”