NDDC audit: Ijaw congress asks Buhari to stop rhetoric and prosecute offenders

Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress has expressed misgivings about the declaration of the President Muhammadu Buhari that funds looted at the Niger Delta Development Commission will be recovered and those found culpable in the forensic audit report shall be punished.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had made the declaration in his address in Abuja at the virtual opening of the NDDC Prototype Hostel at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Thursday.

Describing the President’s vow as mere rhetoric, Okaba stressed that there was nothing exciting about it as Buhari had made similar promises before.

This was stated by Okaba on a programme on Arise News Television on Sunday night.

The INC chief said, “I won’t say I’m excited by the (president’s) declaration. We expected this long ago. For many Nigerians, this is just rhetoric. We have said earlier that forensic auditing should be a routine administrative process of the NDDC. It is not anything that anybody should celebrate.

“Buhari has made several promises. People have called for the audit report to be made public. The issues, as they are, remain mere allegations and as a far as the INC is concerned, we have before now demanded release of the forensic audit report and as many persons that have not delivered on the assignments given to them, let appropriate actions be taken.”

He called on the president to constitute the substantive board of the NDDC, adding that “this is the only thing that will excite us and not the promises he is making.”

Okaba further said, “He (the president) does not the need the permission of Nigerians to prosecute anybody found wanting. We want to see action. We want to see the list published, we want to see persons involved. We want to believe that whatever is made public is the true report.

“We never demanded an interventionist agency. What the Ijaw people demanded and are still demanding is resource control. NDDC has been a palliative and a stop-gap approach to development of the region. So, those who accepted NDDC in year 2000 had certain reservations.”