NDDC BOARD: A REPRESENTATIVE'S DANGEROUS ADVOCACY AGAINST HIS PEOPLE.
From the moment President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a Forensic Audit into the affairs of the NDDC since it's inception, and the subsequent constitution of the Interim Management under the leadership of Dr Joi Nuineh; Acting MD, with other members including Hon Dr Cairo Ojuogboh; Acting Executive Director of Projects, and Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang; Acting Executive Director of Finance and Administration (a three man administrative body) to oversee the running of the establishment for the duration of the audit, attempts to cause a distraction in the affairs of the interventionist agency have been uncovered, with the actions of some critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta coming as very shocking and against the growth and optimal development of the Niger Delta Region.
Perhaps a tiny minority may be inclined to playing the blame game by choosing to emphasize the errors of forwarding a nomination that appears to contradict the provisions of the NDDC Act, however when a critical analysis of the functionality and characteristics of the Presidential System is used as a yardstick for drawing conclusions to instances, it then becomes a very big problem when individuals who have the people's mandate to help the course of development, maintaining law and order are caught in the act of suspicious, misplaced and dangerous advocacy.
Nothing short of the description above adequately describes the actions of PDP's Hon Nicholas Ossai Ossai; member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal consistency at the House of Representatives who was heard to have made strong calls for the inauguration of the nominated board of the NDDC to takeover the running of its affairs, citing the provisions of the NDDC Act to back up his misplaced and convoluted advocacy while yet calling for the disbanding of the Interim Management Committee. To buttress this misplaced advocacy, Hon Ossai referred to the screening exercise carried out on the nominees by the Senate as the necessary hurdle to be crossed, and having scaled through the nominees were bound for inauguration, concluding that the IMC was alien to the NDDC Act.
To the lay man who listened to Hon Ossai's argument on the floor of the House, no doubt the temptation and disposition to swallow his opinions as authentic would almost be too hard to reject, but for those who understand the FG's disposition to Law, order, accountability and probity, together with the positive body language of President Muhammadu Buhari towards the Niger Delta, the thought patterns of the PDP Rep for Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constitutuency are a summation of illegality disguised under progressivism, targeted at embarrassing the Federal Government and distracting the clean up of the NDDC.
In exposing the inferiority of calling for the inauguration of a board whose nomination is the reason for the tension and controversy in the Niger Delta today, a little revelation about the content of the NDDC Act would also be given. While it is true that there may not be direct provision for an IMC in the NDDC Act, it is however also true that given the provisions of the same document, the nominated board completely goes against legal specifications for. Since its establishment in 2000, appointments into the NDDC Board has abided by the provision of the act, especially with respect to the nomination of the chairman. Therefore it comes as suspicious, the call to inaugurate a board even when being a federal legislator, Hon Ossai is in the know of grave consequances in the event of the board's inauguration.
Furthermore, Hon Ossai is a rep of one of the three groups that make up Anioma Nation and by extension one amongst Delta's Reps at the NASS, therefore given the prescription of the NDDC Act, many are eager to know why Hon Ossai is favorably disposed to shortchanging Delta State of its birthright to produce Chairman of the NDDC Board.
Similarly, the present Interim Management Committe as constituted boasts of a notable deltan and onetime member of the National Assembly, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh. It is therefore also important to inquire from Hon Ossai, his reason for condemning and maligning the IMC, despite having unblemished members, including his brother and fellow MHR from Anioma Nation.
From the records available, Hon Ossai Ossai is presently in his third tenure as an Rep and in like manner has been an insider of the NDDC for more than 13 years, being a former member of the House of Assembly. This places him as one of the major individuals who would be privy to the running and administration of the NDDC through the past decade, therefore Anioma indigenes would no doubt be interested in the projects and initiatives he has been able to influence from the NDDC to his immediate Constituency, and if they are commensurate with the records to be unveiled after the Forensic Audit.
For the past 19 years, the NDDC has sat over billions budgeted for the development of the Niger Delta, and the forensic audit as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari is to serve as a Vista through which the Niger Development Road map and Framework would be realigned for optimal delivery, therefore the Interim Management Committee remains suitable for the temporary running of NDDC affairs pending the outcome of the audit exercise.
One then wonders if Hon Ossai is through this negative and dangerous advocacy trying to hide a possible black patch that connects him to the rot in the NDDC, or if he speaks from the desire to appear as one of the audible voices of the moribund PDP in the NASS. A party that is guilty of the mismanagement of the NDDC and has shortchanged the Niger Delta region.
For a legislator to knowingly join a negative advocacy to the detriment of his people, raises serious concerns about his activities as a Representative. Little wonder why he was diplomatically silenced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.
Whatever is built on a false foundation never stands the test of time and the inauguration of a board that goes against legality would only leave Niger Delta nationalities at the receiving end of an NDDC Board that owes it's loyalty to the manipulations of legislators who appear to misrepresent the ideal of quality representation, rather than to the people it is supposed to serve.
In more civilized climes Hon Nicholas Ossai Ossai would be receiving some heavy backlash from his constituents and would be expected to present his scorecard for the past 10 years he has been at the Nation's Legislative Houses (especially his involvement with NDDC), a reality that should ultimately push for his possible recall by Ndokwa/Ukwuani People in Delta state. From all indications, this appears to be the kind of treatment deserving for advocates of disorder and illegality, something that Hon Ossai is at the moment very guilty of.
Perhaps Ndokwa/Ukwuani Youths should be inclined to this reality.
Ikechukwu Chukwudi is an APC member from Delta State; he writes from Asaba.
From the moment President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a Forensic Audit into the affairs of the NDDC since it's inception, and the subsequent constitution of the Interim Management under the leadership of Dr Joi Nuineh; Acting MD, with other members including Hon Dr Cairo Ojuogboh; Acting Executive Director of Projects, and Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang; Acting Executive Director of Finance and Administration (a three man administrative body) to oversee the running of the establishment for the duration of the audit, attempts to cause a distraction in the affairs of the interventionist agency have been uncovered, with the actions of some critical stakeholders of the Niger Delta coming as very shocking and against the growth and optimal development of the Niger Delta Region.
Perhaps a tiny minority may be inclined to playing the blame game by choosing to emphasize the errors of forwarding a nomination that appears to contradict the provisions of the NDDC Act, however when a critical analysis of the functionality and characteristics of the Presidential System is used as a yardstick for drawing conclusions to instances, it then becomes a very big problem when individuals who have the people's mandate to help the course of development, maintaining law and order are caught in the act of suspicious, misplaced and dangerous advocacy.
Nothing short of the description above adequately describes the actions of PDP's Hon Nicholas Ossai Ossai; member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal consistency at the House of Representatives who was heard to have made strong calls for the inauguration of the nominated board of the NDDC to takeover the running of its affairs, citing the provisions of the NDDC Act to back up his misplaced and convoluted advocacy while yet calling for the disbanding of the Interim Management Committee. To buttress this misplaced advocacy, Hon Ossai referred to the screening exercise carried out on the nominees by the Senate as the necessary hurdle to be crossed, and having scaled through the nominees were bound for inauguration, concluding that the IMC was alien to the NDDC Act.
To the lay man who listened to Hon Ossai's argument on the floor of the House, no doubt the temptation and disposition to swallow his opinions as authentic would almost be too hard to reject, but for those who understand the FG's disposition to Law, order, accountability and probity, together with the positive body language of President Muhammadu Buhari towards the Niger Delta, the thought patterns of the PDP Rep for Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constitutuency are a summation of illegality disguised under progressivism, targeted at embarrassing the Federal Government and distracting the clean up of the NDDC.
In exposing the inferiority of calling for the inauguration of a board whose nomination is the reason for the tension and controversy in the Niger Delta today, a little revelation about the content of the NDDC Act would also be given. While it is true that there may not be direct provision for an IMC in the NDDC Act, it is however also true that given the provisions of the same document, the nominated board completely goes against legal specifications for. Since its establishment in 2000, appointments into the NDDC Board has abided by the provision of the act, especially with respect to the nomination of the chairman. Therefore it comes as suspicious, the call to inaugurate a board even when being a federal legislator, Hon Ossai is in the know of grave consequances in the event of the board's inauguration.
Furthermore, Hon Ossai is a rep of one of the three groups that make up Anioma Nation and by extension one amongst Delta's Reps at the NASS, therefore given the prescription of the NDDC Act, many are eager to know why Hon Ossai is favorably disposed to shortchanging Delta State of its birthright to produce Chairman of the NDDC Board.
Similarly, the present Interim Management Committe as constituted boasts of a notable deltan and onetime member of the National Assembly, Dr Cairo Ojuogboh. It is therefore also important to inquire from Hon Ossai, his reason for condemning and maligning the IMC, despite having unblemished members, including his brother and fellow MHR from Anioma Nation.
From the records available, Hon Ossai Ossai is presently in his third tenure as an Rep and in like manner has been an insider of the NDDC for more than 13 years, being a former member of the House of Assembly. This places him as one of the major individuals who would be privy to the running and administration of the NDDC through the past decade, therefore Anioma indigenes would no doubt be interested in the projects and initiatives he has been able to influence from the NDDC to his immediate Constituency, and if they are commensurate with the records to be unveiled after the Forensic Audit.
For the past 19 years, the NDDC has sat over billions budgeted for the development of the Niger Delta, and the forensic audit as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari is to serve as a Vista through which the Niger Development Road map and Framework would be realigned for optimal delivery, therefore the Interim Management Committee remains suitable for the temporary running of NDDC affairs pending the outcome of the audit exercise.
One then wonders if Hon Ossai is through this negative and dangerous advocacy trying to hide a possible black patch that connects him to the rot in the NDDC, or if he speaks from the desire to appear as one of the audible voices of the moribund PDP in the NASS. A party that is guilty of the mismanagement of the NDDC and has shortchanged the Niger Delta region.
For a legislator to knowingly join a negative advocacy to the detriment of his people, raises serious concerns about his activities as a Representative. Little wonder why he was diplomatically silenced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.
Whatever is built on a false foundation never stands the test of time and the inauguration of a board that goes against legality would only leave Niger Delta nationalities at the receiving end of an NDDC Board that owes it's loyalty to the manipulations of legislators who appear to misrepresent the ideal of quality representation, rather than to the people it is supposed to serve.
In more civilized climes Hon Nicholas Ossai Ossai would be receiving some heavy backlash from his constituents and would be expected to present his scorecard for the past 10 years he has been at the Nation's Legislative Houses (especially his involvement with NDDC), a reality that should ultimately push for his possible recall by Ndokwa/Ukwuani People in Delta state. From all indications, this appears to be the kind of treatment deserving for advocates of disorder and illegality, something that Hon Ossai is at the moment very guilty of.
Perhaps Ndokwa/Ukwuani Youths should be inclined to this reality.
Ikechukwu Chukwudi is an APC member from Delta State; he writes from Asaba.
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