Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said “periwinkle politics”, resulting in incessant change in the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has led to the slow pace of development in the Niger Delta region of the country.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Senator Akpabio said this at the weekend during the grand finale of the 25th anniversary of the NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of the activities to round off the week-long celebration.
Akpabio decried the high turnover of the management team of the NDDC, which he said had slowed the pace of development of the oil-rich region.
He, however, commended the present team led by the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku for adhering to the vision of the founding fathers of the interventionist agency by embarking on projects that have impacted positively on the lives of the people of the region.
According to Senator Akpabio, the frequent management change created endless cycles where new leaders were removed before finishing projects, leaving thousands of initiatives abandoned and wasting billions meant for development.
“There were many reasons we have had so much problems in the NDDC. Part of it was leadership tussle. In the Niger Delta region, we have what we call ‘periwinkle politics’.
“This is politics where everybody bears the same head. Nobody wants to wait for his turn. Everybody feels that he should be there and not the other person,” Akpabio said.
He added: “So there was always this conspiratorial situation. Each management in the NDDC would conspire against themselves and of course the staff will assist them to quarrel and shortly after they will sack the management. And one of them would become the acting Managing Director”.
Akpabio recounted how the Commission for over 20 years could not complete its headquarters building until he became the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and gave a marching order to the Commission to complete the long abandoned project.
According to Akpabio, the Commission left behind over 14,700 abandoned projects because regime change brought with it new projects.
He, meanwhile, noted that President Bola Tinubu discovered that the incessant change of management was inimical to the development of the region hence the reason that the Federal Government had found it worthy for the administration of Ogboku to complete its tenure.
Akpabio commended the stability of the NDDC under the current leadership of Dr Ogbuku, urging that the commission must break away from endless cycles of sabotage and focus on continuity so that development projects can be completed.
“I salute the present management,” he said.
The Senate President went on to say the people of the Niger Delta had decided to support Tinubu to continue in office beyond 2027, because of the projects that the administration has brought to the Niger Delta region.
“In the past the Niger Delta was used as the goose that produced the golden egg with nothing to show for it. Today President Tinubu has set up an Environmental Sciences University in Ogoni land to take care of the environment which had been degraded as a result of oil pollution.
“He has also set up a Maritime University, signed it into an Act of Parliament in Okerenkoko in Delta State. He has given us several tertiary institutions in Agriculture, Technology and lots of others. So it is not only in terms of appointments but various projects.
“This is the region that produces the wealth of the nation. We have the right to choose who manages our resources. So people should not think that anybody can just come and become the President without consultation with the people of the Niger Delta.
“We the people of the Niger Delta have assessed President Tinubu and have found him fit to continue in office beyond 2027. So let the people who are conspiring against President Tinubu hear this. They did it before and conspired to remove our son, President Goodluck Jonathan.
“This time around the entire Niger Delta region has decided to speak with one voice. And we are telling the President ‘on your mandate we stand.’ No conspiracy formed against this Government that has recognized the Niger Delta shall prosper,” Akpabio said.
Speaking in the same vein, former President Jonathan commended President Tinubu for continuing with the present board of the Commission and noted that this will engender sustainable development of the region.
President Tinubu acknowledged the support of the Niger Delta region and said as the pioneer development Commission, the NDDC remained pivotal to the region’s economic growth and material well-being of the people.
The President said his administration’s legacy project, the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, will complement the East-West Road and foster trade and connectivity across the region.
Speaking further at the event, President Tinubu directed the NDDC to prioritise the completion of all abandoned critical projects across the Niger Delta region.
The event had in attendance former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Administrator of Rivers State, Admiral Ibokette Ibas, lawmakers, traditional rulers, ministers, and key figures from across the Niger Delta.