By Peters Osawaru OMORAGBON
The Niger Delta Development Commission otherwise called NDDC was and is still a fraud. It has nothing to do with resource control or regionalization or federalism.
NDDC did not replace the quest for true federalism or resource control by the brewers and ewers of the wood from the Niger Delta. It was a dubious creation by the ruling class to reward their political hangers on the rot and decay currently playing out in NDDC is a reflection of the failure of the government in power and the political elites and not the failures of the people of the Niger Delta.
The APC and PDP who have at varied times ruled this nation are both epitome of corruption, so why would what is currently happening today in NDDC surprise anyone? The baby snake would always inherit the venom of its mother. It is not acquired but inherited.
True Federalism or Modern federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments. The idea as whether because of what is happening now is enough to rule out the readiness of Nigerians to practice true federalism is skewed and a dubious attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
In the first place how on earth would the Federal Govt think that by allocating 13% from the revenue made from the Niger Delta is equitable whilst you expend 87% to develop mostly the Northern parts of Nigeria.
NDDC from the onset was set up to fail because if the government was sincere, it would have allowed the communities themselves to elect amongst their communities people whom they can hold accountable to form the core of the managers. A situation where you now appoint your political stooges as a means of compensating them for their support through the pilfering of the states’ resources to fund your political campaign is another way of telling them ‘thank you’ for your support.
Look at EFCCC, is the rot there different?. Would you now say because the police is corrupt or EFCCC is even more corrupt that Nigeria is not ripe enough for state police? What does that position breed? It breeds discontent and lawlessness.
You now have regional security outfits like the Amotekuns and others, how would you control such if the Federal govt fails to provide the enabling environment for true federalism? He who prevents a peaceful change is calling inevitably for a violent revolution-Nigeria is moving towards that, mark my word, it will come to pass.
By the time I am sworn in as Governor Edo State, I shall conduct our own forensic audit from 1999-2020 to ascertain how much has accrued to Edo State from the NDDC and revalidate all contracts awarded in Edo State under the NDDC proceeds and where any mismanagement is found, the state would recover all from everyone concerned. The last has not be heard yet about the NDDC.
Pastor Peters Osawaru OMORAGBON is the Governorship Candidate, Edo 2020, under the National Conscience Party. He could be reached on: +234-805-265-8024, +447580081195, Email: petersomiragbon@gmail.com
