13 July 2020
Convener of the New Nigeria Conversation, Princewill Odidi, has expressed disappointment at the degree of misgovernance in Nigeria nay Africa while frowning at the controversial financial recklessness recently disclosed to have taken place in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) NEGROIDHAVEN can confirm.
The public affairs analyst while entertaining the thought that Africans may be incapable of governing themselves wished that the President of North Korea, Kim Jung Un, was president of Nigeria.
Odidi's wish is premised on the news of the NDDC sharing the sum of N1.5 billion amongst the management and staff of the interventionist regional agency while being unable to account for 40 billion Naira.
His words, 'Maybe Africans are just incapable of Governing themselves. Look at our schools yet these NDDC guys share 1.5 billion among themselves and cannot account for 40 billion. I wish Kim Jung Un of North Korea was our President. Can you imagine where NDDC would be today if the over 400 billion given to them since inception was invested in an NDDC development bank or an NDDC infrastructure development bank?'
Regional restructuring
He further likened the scenario of the failure of the NDDC to how regional restructuring will be if adopted across Nigeria. For Odidi, the corrupt politicians at the centre will simply relocate from Abuja to the regions and sustain the status quo of looting spree.
His words, 'To those clamoring for Regional Restructuring, see NDDC, that is a sample of how regional development can go wrong.
'The theft and corruption in NDDC, a regional development agency should send a clear signal to proponents of regional restructuring that regional restructuring is not the solution to our problems. It is the same Abuja thieves that will relocate to regions to master their thieving craft.'
Presidential fiat
Odidi expected that with the viral video footage of alleged financial misappropriation leveled against the Minister of Niger Delta, Chief Godswill Akpabio, by the former Acting MD of the NDDC, Joy Nunieh, President Muhammadu Buhari would have intervened.
According to him, 'With all the allegations the lady on video leveled against Akpabio one would expect the President to act, or take some form of action, unfortunately he will look the other way as impunity continues.
'Nigerians are dying silently while our youths are engrossed in party loyalty, aiding politicians to loot and having lost all form of common sense. Is there any hope for this country?
'…What a disappointment to some of us who campaigned for change in 2015. A simple Presidential order from the President will straighten a lot of things going wrong today, but when it is the gate keepers themselves that are the problems associated with this drowning boat, how will the captain know all is not well?
'We have so failed as a people, as a race and as a generation. Nigeria has made itself a laughing stock to the world. If this same scenario had happened in Ghana, heads will roll within hours, but Nigeria, no one cares. God save us. Gradually it appears the Nigerian problem has no immediate solution.'
Sources have it that out of the N3.14 billion allowance for COVID-19, the NDDC spent a total of N1.5 billion for the management and staff as coronavirus relief.
NDDC has over 4000 staff across the nine states of the Niger Delta region and what follows is a breakdown of how the N1. 5 billion was shared:
- *One staff received N10 million as 'palliative'
- *NDDC paid N7 million each to two other staff
- *Three staff received N5 million each
- *148 staff received N3 million each
- *157 staff received N1.5 million each
- *497 staff received N1millon each
- *the least staff who are mostly cleaners and security personnel for the commission and totalling 464 in number received N600,000 each.
- *NDDC gave N475 million out of out of the sum to 'police for facemasks and hand sanitizers.'
