Stop starving NDDC of fund, monarch tells N’Delta ministry

Traditional ruler of Idjerhe Kingdom in Delta State, Monday Whiskey, yesterday, expressed worry over alleged interference by officials of Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The monarch also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, return NDDC to the presidency to ensure efficiency in project delivery and for the purpose of ease of administration as against being domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

Whiskey alleged attempts to starve the current board of the commission of fund by some unscrupulous suspected elements in the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The monarch said what is obtainable in the North East Development Commission, which is domiciled in the presidency, should also apply to NDDC.

Raising concerns that a certain cabal operating in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is bent on starving the NDDC of funds with the sole aim of frustrating efforts aimed at providing developmental projects in the Niger Delta region, the monarch, who oversees about 94 communities in Idjerhe Kingdom said: “I want to use this medium to request the current leadership of the NDDC to revisit the projects that were abandoned in Idjerhe Kingdom and put in place plans for new ones so that benefits associated with the kingdom as an oil-producing community would be enjoyed.

“NDDC had failed to meet its Corporate Social Responsibility in the last three years because it grapples with interference by the leadership of the Federal Ministry Niger Delta ministry.”