N’Delta leader, Ajube, alleges neglect of Ondo mandate areas by NDDC

House committee chairman says allegations spurious
A Niger Delta leader, Chief Bibopere Ajube, has expressed dismay over what he described as the shoddy treatment the riverine areas of the state are subjected to in the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

He specifically accused the management of the commission and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, Bunmi Tunji Ojo, of diverting the Ondo State mandate areas to others that have no link with the Niger Delta region.

In a statement in Akure, yesterday, Ajube described as disturbing, a situation whereby benefits that should accrue to the people of Ilaje and Ese-Odo local councils are enjoyed by those in the northern senatorial district, especially Akoko.

He emphasised the need for all stakeholders to work hand in hand and call the NDDC management and Ojo to order.

Ajube’s allegation came 24 hours after Ojo was said to have given about 1,000 Akoko students N50 million as scholarship even as the NDDC disclosed that it had approved the resumption of bursary payment to student in the oil rich region.

He said: “We suspect that someone is trying to play on the intelligence of the good people of Ilaje and Ese-Odo that fall within the mandate areas of the NDDC. Over time, we have watched how benefits that should be extended to the people of the mandate areas are diverted to Akoko.

MEANWHILE, Special Adviser to the lawmaker, Babatunde Alao, described the allegations as spurious and unfounded lies, saying it was a personal empowerment programme for his people.

Alao recounted that the BTO scholarship initiatives were among numerous programmes sponsored by the BTO Foundation for the people of Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency.

According to him, it was part of the empowerment programmes that were done recently to include free UTME forms and free medical/surgical outreach.

He said that federal lawmakers only get constituency projects, adding that “Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo’s role as the Chairman, House Committed on NDDC, is oversight and nothing more. He does not execute projects.”