NDDC’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Criticized for Extravagance, Lack of Impact
The Niger Delta Coalition for Probity and Accountability and the Alliance for Accountability and Transparency have criticized the NDDC’s 25th anniversary celebration, calling it a “charade” and a display of “reckless use of public resources.”
The groups in a Press Statement questioned the justification for spending an estimated N100 billion on the event when oil-bearing communities still lack basic infrastructure.
The Press Statement by the groups was signed by Kingsley Arthur,
Executive Director and Partner.
For: Niger Delta Coalition For Probity and Accountability.
Lati Abraham,
Director of Media and Publicity,
For: Alliance For Accountability and Transparency.
According to the groups, despite receiving over N7 trillion in funding since its inception, the NDDC has failed to deliver meaningful projects, with many communities lacking access to clean water, good roads, healthcare, and quality schools.
They said that frequent leadership changes have led to numerous abandoned projects, with former President Goodluck Jonathan noting that the NDDC has had 11 CEOs in 25 years, averaging only two years and three months in office.
The groups alleged that certain officers gave waivers to oil companies, resulting in billions of naira in lost revenue, and that contractors are still owed for completed projects, including solar light contracts.
They said that the NDDC’s focus on solar streetlights without providing lights for rural homes has been criticized, and called for investment in sustainable solar minigrids to support small businesses and social activities.
According to the groups, they have compiled a compendium of alleged corrupt activities within the Commission, which will be submitted to anti-corruption agencies for investigation.
They are urging the NDDC to prioritize people-oriented infrastructure and collaborate with states to formulate projects that benefit the region.
Here Is The Full Press Statement:
NDDC 25TH ANNIVERSARY A CHARADE:
A clear case of misplaced priority and a display of reckless use of public resources is the way l will describe the just concluded shambolic jamboree called 25th anniversary of the NDDC.
A display of raw ignorance on the suffering of the people of the oil bearing communities.
There was no commissioning of a single facility in a chikoko infested oil bearing community yet an humongous amount of over a hundred Billion expended on the event as rumoured in the grapevine. If this figure is controvertable then the NDDC should avail the public of the actual amount expended on this jamboree, yes we are expected to be told the actual amount expended to put up this charade called 25th anniversary.
Many of the persons dancing there were some who’s cronies plundered the Commission for personal aggrandizement, for instance the former Minister of Niger Delta Development, Obong Umana Umana confirmed that about Three Hundred and Fifty Billion Naira could not be accounted for during the headship of Mr Effiong Akwa, who held away as the interim Administrator between 2021 and 2022 under the supervision of the current President of the Senate, Senator GodsWill Akpabio then as the Minister of Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
That document was said to have been submitted to former President Muhammadu Buhari who died in London Clinic on Sunday, July 13th, 2025, at the time according to Umana Okon Umana. As we speak no one is been held to account for such a magnitude of sleaze that took place post- forensic audit. There is also non full disclosure of three percent of remittances from the oil companies.
We know for a fact that certain officers of the Commission gave waivers to oil companies not to pay this statutory three percent and monies that run into billions of Naira was collected as kickback thereby short changing the region of dire needed infrastructural development.
Contractors are still been owed after many years of project completion , the most worrisome is the Solar Lights contracts that are scattered everywhere some completed and not paid yet such resources is been spent for an uncalled for celebration.
The Commission has even lost track of the numbers of Solar lights contract awarded with many been hawked around the country, ditto Solar Water projects as well.
The quarrel we have is that this money could have funded one specialist hospital in each of the member states. The projects allegedly commissioned and showcased are projects that have been repackaged and turnaround many times as if they are fresh projects initiated and consummated by this board.
For anything this present board lacks the capacity to even formulate projects that aligns with the aspirations of the people of the region a typical example is the Solar street light without consideration of providing lights for the homes of the rural oil bearing communities, in order words the Commission needed to invest in Solar Minigrid that would be sustainable and provide light for homes that will enable small businesses to grow, pupils will have light to do their homework and other social activities.
The NDDC failed in the area of providing security in the region by not been proactive to mitigate the extraneous factors that led to destruction of oil infrastructure and proliferation of unlicenced refineries in the region. Many of the operators of unlicenced refineries were hitherto persons who use to get patronage from the Commission and are now left out because the Commission operates more like an elitist entity and a cult like organization.
Even for those who manage to get something to do have to pay some bribe to get paid. This scheme “of bribe for payment” has been entrenched in the Commission and still very much the fashion today.
The NDDC that used to act like a centripetal force drawing everyone from around the region to its self thereby everyone was enjoying some sense of belonging but now it’s a different ball game where the agency operates more like a cult organization.
There is no synergetic effort to collaborate with the states to formulate projects that will have meaningful impact on the lives of the people.
So for many across the region there was nothing on ground really to celebrate, the region still lacks basic infrastructure that can be identified that have the imprint of the agency, more of the resources are still been hijacked by Abuja cronies and leadership of the commission.
We say this with all sense of responsibility as we have compiled a compendium of the activities of some of the officers in the Commission which will be submitted to the anti corruption agencies for necessary action.
Kingsley Arthur,
Executive Director and Partner.
For: Niger Delta Coalition For Probity and Accountability.
Lati Abraham,
Director of Media and Publicity,
For: Alliance For Accountability and Transparency.
