Falana Breaks Silence On NDDC Matter, Addresses Buhari On Urgent Inauguration Of Board
The group also knocked President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for reconstituting the members of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) and failing to appoint the Board of the NDDC.
It described this as “illegal, discriminatory and sectional”.
Also according to the Falana-led group, the “illegal appointment” of Interim Administrators to run the affairs of the NDDC contradicts may cause a breach of peace in the Niger Delta region.
In a statement signed by Falana on the behalf of the group and obtained by SaharaReporters On Sunday, the action of the Buhari government also violates the “valid and subsisting order of the Bayelsa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court which has restrained President Buhari from further appointing Interim Administrators to manage the NDDC”.
It reads in part, “The initial reason for not reconstituting the Board of the NDDC was that the accounts of the agency had been subjected to forensic auditing due to allegations of corruption and gross mismanagement of public fund earmarked for the development of the oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta region.
“Even though the report of the forensic audit was submitted to President Buhari over 10 months ago the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to issue a White Paper on it. As if that is not enough, the President has continued to appoint Interim Administrators to manage the NDDC without any legal justification. Such appointment or renewal of same constitutes a violent violation of the valid and subsisting order of the Bayelsa Judicial Division of the Federal High Court which has restrained President Buhari from further appointing Interim Administrators to manage the NDDC.
“With the plan to appoint another Interim Administrator or extend the illegal tenure of the incumbent a number of groups have threatened to embark on mass actions that may cause a breach of peace in the Niger Delta region. It is hoped that the Federal Government will urgently douse the growing tension in the area by reconstituting the Board of the NDDC without any further delay.
“We also call on the Federal Government to release the report of the forensic audit of the NDDC and a White Paper on the recommendations of the Audit Firm. In particular, the contractors that have been indicted by the Audit Firm for abandoning projects in the oil-producing communities should be summoned and directed to complete them while those who engaged in the criminal diversion of the fund budgeted for the development of the Niger Delta region should be prosecuted and made to refund the looted fund.
“However, if the Federal Government does not put an end to the impunity it is undoubtedly clear that the appointment of the Interim Administrators and the actions taken by them including the award of contracts are liable to be set aside by the Federal High Court, sooner or later.
“At the appropriate time, the NDDC will be made to pay general and aggravated damages for the wanton impunity of the Federal Government over the refusal to reconstitute the Board of the NDDC.”
