By TINA TIMOTHY

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) has said that the Niger Delta region, due to youths restiveness which have made the region highly volatile and problematic, was characterized by poverty, corruption, environmental degradation, economic hoax, environmental problems, neglect, instability and militarization among others.

This was contained in a statement issued by FENRAD on Tuesday, June 21, 2022, and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nnanna Nwafor, which he said were his contributions during the review of the NDDC Act at a one-day workshop of a coalition of non-governmental organisations which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on June 14, 2022.

The statement partly reads: “A coalition of non-governmental organizations met in Port Harcourt on Tuesday June 14, 2022, to holistically take a look at the proposed NDDC Amendment Act with a view to making necessary inputs.

“The one-day workshop with the theme: “Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reform in Nigeria,” facilitated by African Network for Environmental and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) with support from USAID under the SCALE PROJECT.

“The programme which held at Juanita Hotel, Old GRA, Port Harcourt also, had the Deputy Director of NDDC, Dr Peterson Ogon, and leadership of ANEEJ, the representatives of various NGOs in the six states that make up the NDDC, namely; Rivers, Abia, Imo, Ondo, Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, who are members of ANEEJ SCALE Cluster organization

Barr Nosa Tokumbo, who presented a paper, titled, “Analysis of the NDDC Act, Identification of Gaps And Recommendations For Amendment”, pointed out some areas, which, according to him, are not people-oriented, hence the need to take a second look at them. These, he said, include the appointment of Executive Directors and Deputy Directors of the Commission, the statute of limitation which bars aggrieved parties from taking legal action against erring staff of NDDC, among others.

“Earlier in the Managing Director’s welcome address presented by the Senior Manager of ANEEJ, Innocent Edemharia, ANEEJ explained that their project is on anti-corruption which has sailed through the Anchor Cluster Model adopted Palladium to promote and engage in anti-corruption policy reforms.

“He stated that ANEEJ receivedgrant on the Scale Project as an Anchor Organization working with eight cluster organizations spread across six states and the Federal Capital Territory, namely, Abia, Edo, Delta, Imo, Ondo, Rivers and then FCT.

“He further stated that, the SCALE project is a 5-year project being implemented by Palladium and its resource partners with funds from USAID. It is designed to enhance local civil society organizations’ ability to be positive and responsible change agents in Nigeria.

“The Enhancing Anti-corruption and Social Inclusive Reform Initiatives in Nigeria project is designed following the anchor cluster model adopted by Palladium to promote and engage in anti-corruption policy reforms.

“The cluster organisations are: 21st Century Community Empowerment for youth and Women Initiative, Abuja; Community Empowerment and Development Initiative (CEDI), Warri, Delta State; Community Heritage Watch for Development Initiative, (KAI) Akure, Ondo State; Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation (CFCF), Owerri, Imo State; Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), Aba, Abia State; Gender and Development Action (GADA) Port-Harcourt, Rivers State; Joint Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD) Edo State Chapter; and New Apostolic Church Centre for Development (NCD), Benin City, Edo State.

“We consider this project as an important one that seeks to promote and engage in anti-corruption policy reforms at both the national and sub-national levels with an ultimate goal of strengthening governance to deliver development goals to citizens, particularly in addressing poverty and inequality amongst our people.

“Contributing to the review of the NDDC Act and addressing media on the need for holistic review of the NDDC Acts and its Operation, comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, Executive Director, Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) Nigeria stressed thatNiger Delta Region is characterized by poverty, corruption, environmental degradation, economic hoax, environmental problems and neglect, coupled with instability and militarization due to youths restiveness which have made the region highly volatile and problematic, not only to Nigerian Government but to the world, as these problems affects other economies through the production and pricing of crude oil resources.”

FENRAD said that NDDC was set up over fifteen years ago ‘to pull the Niger Delta Region (NDR) out of the socio-economic, environmental and political problems that have engulfed the region prior to Nigeria’s independence, but has failed despite the enormous amount that the federal government budgets and allocates to the commission every year. The group therefore lauds the suggestion to reorganize and reposition the Commission to deliver better services to the people of Niger Delta.

“The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as an interventionist Commission mandated to pull the Niger Delta Region (NDR) out of the socio-economic, environmental and political problems that have engulfed the region prior to Nigeria’s independence has not been able to perform the expected miracle over the past fifteen years of its establishment, despite the huge amount budgeted and allocated to it yearly by the federal government of Nigeria. This has in reality threatened the relevance of the Commission and there have been suggestions for reorganizing and redefining the mission and vision of NDDC so as to reposition it to be more proactive, transparent, and accountable to delivery of better services to the people of Niger Delta Region.”

FENRAD also commended ANEEJ for taking the lead in the campaign to reform NDDC while thanking the federal government for cancelling previous contracts awarded by the commission. It, however, cautions that the re-awarding of these contracts should be to reputable contractors.

The statement reads further: “Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor commended ANEEJ for taking the lead in the campaign to review the NDDC Act which will reform the commission to be more inclusive and accountable.

“FENRAD has expressed its gratitude to the Federal Government for ordering the cancellation of all the contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from 2000 to December 31, 2019. The re-awarding of those contracts to reputable contractors who can further execute the contracts for the benefit of the people of Niger Delta is also very important.

Concluding the statement, FENRAD called on President Muhammadu Buhari to make public the forensic audit of the commission and probe alleged financial improprieties.

“FENRAD Call on President Muhammadu Buhari to make public the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for public scrutiny. The President had ordered a forensic audit of the NDDC in October 2019 to probe alleged financial misappropriation from 2001 to 2019.The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had in August 2020 approved N722.3 million for 8 auditors in addition to the N318 million earlier approved for some lead auditors who mobilized to the region in March but since the final reports have been submitted to the president, it has not been made public.”