Traditional Rulers and other key stakeholders from the Nine States of the Niger Delta region have raised an alarm of a plot to hijack the powers of the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Umana O. Umana over an alleged plan to relocate the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and place it under the control and management of the Ministry in Abuja.
According to the concerned Niger Delta stakeholders, despite the unveiled new road map by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs about the repositioning and improved working of the NDDC to the benefit of the people of the region, few politicians and Federal Civil Service led by the Ministry’s permanent secretary, Engr. Adebiye Olusesan Olufunso are engaged in a plot to mislead the Minister Umana O. Umana with a staff audit and throw him against the people of the region.
The Stakeholders, in a statement issued by High Chief Abiye Ogunseri, said though the indigenes of the region are warming up to confront those behind the plot within the ambit of the law, however, those involved in the plot have started the purported relocation plan with a staff audit, with the intent of transferring the entire NDDC staff and the commission to the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs with the Permanent Secretary as the accounting officer and not the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana O. Umana.
High Chief Abiye Ogunseri however pointed out that though the stakeholders welcome a genuine staff audit of the NDDC staff, but they are suspicious of the intentions of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Engr. Adebiye Olusesan Olufunso for giving out forms with the Ministry imprints to fill for Identification cards, and asking staff of over 20 years to 30 years to fill a new resumption of duty forms issued under the imprint of the Ministry of Niger Delta which has different conditions of service and lower emoluments and grade levels.
“We are more worried by the fact that Dr. Goke Adegoroye, a retired Permanent Secretary while making presentation during the last NDDC staff retreat on behalf of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Engr. Adebiye Olusesan Olufunso stated that despite President Muhammadu Buhari delegating his authority to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is the true accounting officer of the NDDC and not the Minister. This is a clear indication that Engr. Adebiye Olusesan Olufunso is making his move behind the backs of the Minister Umana O. Umana, knowing fully well that the Minister, Umana O. Umana only has a few months left in office.”
“The entire Niger Delta traditional rulers, elders, women, youth groups and stakeholders are against this illegal annexing of the NDDC to the Ministry of Niger Delta, and we are prepared for all manner of legal showdown and protests across the region against the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and this might delay and derail any planned achievement within Minister Umana’s short time in office. The Honourable Minister, Umana O. Umana must stop believing the antics of his power drunk Permanent Secretary Engr. Adebiye Olusesan Olufunso, otherwise posterity will not be kind to him because history will record Minister Umana as the sole individual who willingly handed the NDDC and its developmental budgets over to non-Niger Delta indigenes.”
The stakeholders are also calling on the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana O. Umana to immediately stop the alleged power drunkenness of the Permanent Secretary Engr. Adebiye Olusesan Olufunso from visiting the NDDC beginning on Monday 15th August 2022 to continue his staff audit charade until the Hon. Minister Umana has concluded his own investigation into these allegations.
It would be recalled that the dreaded Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta MEND had in a statement issued last week warned the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana and his Permanent Secretary, one Engr Adebiyi Olufunso to stop the proposed annexation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
The MEND declared that the NDDC and the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry are two very separate institutions of government,” such evil plot shall be resisted with every fibre of resolve that birthed the interventionist agency in the first instance. The NDDC as an agency established by a valid and subsisting law (NDDC Act 2000) which clearly makes it an independent agency under the Presidency – a body corporate vested with perpetual succession and a common seal (Section 1(1)-(3), NDDC Act)”.
“The President had via a letter dated 2nd September 2019, delegated the power of supervision of the NDDC to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs. The only delegation of its kind in the entire nation. This was in response to an earlier request made by the then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio titled “Request for the Supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission to be transferred to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.” It is common knowledge that such supervision of the NDDC connotes only the power to oversee the activities of the Interim Administrator/Managing Director. It ends there. It does not by any stretch of imagination extend to the conduct of managerial or administrative functions. This is elementary to say the least, therefore the entire Niger Delta traditional rulers, elders, women, youth groups and stakeholders will be mobilised for a showdown against this illegal annexing of the NDDC to the Ministry of Niger Delta, into the hands of non-Niger Delta civil servants.”
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