The Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD)has kicked against the renewed demand by South South Governors to interfere with or control the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
In a signed press statement made available to Channel Network Afrique, National President of VATLAD , Comrade Emmanuel Igbini said it is totally untrue for the Governors to claim that their demand is borne out of concern of the rot in the NDDC which they claimed is an offshoot to alleged refusal of the commission to forge and foster synergy, consultation and cooperation with the State Governments especially, on Project Location, Development and Execution.
The state Governors must be reminded or informed that it was because of their continued failure to utlilise the huge month Oil Derivation funds and other funds acruing to our States for the development of our people and Region that we demanded and fought for the establishment of NDDC and insisted that it should operate independently and without direct or indirect interference or control by our State Governors or their Agents Igbini noted.
It is very insulting to further read the threat issued by our Governors to NDDC saying: “We have resolved and we, as the State Governments will no longer allow NDDC to execute any project (s) in any State of the region without it consulting State governments”. Who gave them this mandate, where and when?
They must be properly educated that no State Governor owns any State of South-South or Nigeria, at large.
No State Governor has the Constitutional Power to stop any Federal Government Agency from entering any State of Nigeria for the purpose of pursuing and ensuring the Development of the State.
“We must remind Nigerians and President Buhari that this is not the first time these Governors have made their intention publicly known to hijack NDDC for the purpose of controlling the funds acruing to it for their Political Interest as they often complain that APC Political Leaders in their State deploy the funds of NDDC to campaign against their elections or re-elections”.
Recall that last year when these Governors and others from Oil Producing States visited President Buhari to make similar demand, we immediately responded by condemning their request and advising President Buhari to be wary of them. Now they want to exploit the outcome of the ENDSARS Protest to blackmail President Buhari to succumb to their unconstitutional demand,this Igbini added must not happen.
He said while there have sadly been massive fraud in NDDC in the past twenty years, the story is not any different in our States under our Governors as the mindless looting of funds acruing to the Region by the Governor’s is more disheartening than that perpetrated in NDDC.
This threat issued by our Governors regrettably expose their lack of understanding of and or total disregard for the express provisions of 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, stating clearly the principle of separation of powers of the three tiers of Government.
The group however challenged the state Governors to publish details of how they have so far spent the trillions of naira received from the Federation Account before they will have the moral authority to even attempt to exercise their Advisory Privilege on operations of NDDC.
