NDDC: A disturbing corruption alarm

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) the other day stirred the hornet’s nest when its Executive Director, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh said that if he were to unveil the list of looters of the NDDC, the country would collapse. Ojougboh who is in charge of projects at the NDDC points up the National Assembly as the repository of the bashers of the agency with a mandate to develop the neglected Niger-Delta region. He accused the legislative arm of government, which he tagged as the “de facto management, managers and the executive of NDDC” of scheming to stall the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari into the financial transaction of the agency.
 
However, well-meaning individuals and organisations have challenged Ojougboh to unveil the list of looters. For example, Mr. Iteveh Ekpokpobe, journalist and Fellow, Institute of Management Consultants, called on the IMC to list all looters and beneficiaries of the financial corruption in the history of the Commission. He argued that it was compelling to do so as “Questions will be asked by posterity about what we did with our past. Every looter must be made to suffer for their sins. They have stolen our yesterday. They have hands on our today. Their eyes are still set on our tomorrow.” In the same vein, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) urged the release of the list of looters. It noted that the country would be healthier when its enemies were exposed. Nevertheless, others such as the South-South Reawakening Group, SSRG, saw Ojougboh claims as diversionary.