By Franklyn ISONG
The once peaceful atmosphere in
Akwa Ibom state had since been charged up and saturated with discourse on the
frosty relationship between the state government under Mr Udom Emmanuel of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC) under Mr Nsima Ekere of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
As a foundation to enhance my
discourse on this subject, it would, however, be proper to state that the NDDC
(Establishment etc) Act No 6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, clearly
enumerated the functions and powers of the commission in Part II Section 7(1),
to include thus; “(a) formulate policies and guidelines for the development of
the Niger delta area; (b) conceive, plan and implement, in accordance with set
rules and regulations, projects and programmes for the sustainable development
of tie Niger-Delta area in the field of transportation including roads, jetties
and waterways, health, education, employment, industrialization, agriculture
and fisheries, housing and urban development, water supply, electricity and
telecommunications.”
Again, worthy of note here is that
the commission has been in existence for 17 years and out of which, Akwa Ibom
state – a key player in the oil industry – cannot boast of three years on the
saddle of leadership of the commission as the MD/CEO. Because of the oil
politics of rotational principle as enshrined in the NDDC Act 2000 - Part IV
Section 12(1); “There shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director, and two
Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with
the member states of the Commission with the highest production quantum of oil
and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production.”
So a full-blooded patriotic Akwa
Ibomite should be more disturbed that after the state’s slot under Nsima
Ekere’s tenure ends sometimes in August 2018 – when he must have completed 2
years in office by then, because Barr Bassey Dan-Abia had 2 years of the slot,
the state would have had its 4years term – the position will automatically
rotate to the other eight member states of the commission and it will take 32
years (i.e.; 4years for each of the 8 member states that comprise the
commission) before another Akwa Ibom person can become the MD of NDDC,
according to the NDDC Act 2000.
It is on account of the foregoing,
that I fault the unfriendly posture of my governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel and his
commissioners against the MD of NDDC with respect to the commission’s
developmental projects, especially on roads. Sad as it were, my governor was
quoted to have addressed the press and said that “NDDC projects are distorting
the state’s development master plan of his government.” His Commissioner for
Information, Mr Charles Udoh, was also quoted to have addressed the press and
said that “NDDC road projects are bush-tracks in the state.” While, the
Commissioner for Works, Mr Ephraim Inyang-enyen, was reported to have driven
out NDDC contractors with thugs and heavily armed uniform men from a road
construction site along Youth Avenue, Mbiabong Etoi Uyo. All these are
anti-development of the state and does not tell well of Akwa Ibom state that
should be seeking for collaborations with the federal government interventionist
agency.
I would have exonerated the
governor from the whole of these anti-people’s posture. But no! He is a key
player in what I have tagged; “Operation Stop NDDC Developments in Akwa Ibom
because of Nsima Ekere,” while the people of the state at the rural communities
are crying and begging for government and NDDC projects such as; motorable
roads, water, electricity, healthcare facilities, classroom blocks in public
primary/secondary schools, agricultural sector development, etc. One had
expected a people’s centred government to have promptly opened her doors for
development partners like: NDDC, ExxoMobil, Total FinalElf, NNPC and such other
federal and multinational agencies, in order, to facilitate and fast-track
development to the rural communities of the state, while the government
concentrate and channel her energy on the much-talked about industrialization
programme.
Albeit, as a conscience of the
society, I am always on the side of the people, even though, this has usually
put me up against officials of the state. And at the risk of being called names
and blackmailed by agents of state, but truth is; I do not support the actions
and posture of my governor against development partners since coming on board 2
years ago.
Governor Emmanuel should bid a
rethink and cease from leading anti-state and anti-progressive war against
development partners in the country. He has less than two years to end his
tenure in 2019. In 2018, if he is seeking re-election, then he ought to know
that the heat that comes with political electioneering campaigns will not allow
him to add one block to any ongoing project embarked upon by his government, of
course, it is the people of the state that will suffer at the end of the day.
It is most unfortunate, to say the
least, for Governor Emmanuel to have on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, in a national
security submit for the South-South zone at Ibom Hall, held at the instance of
the Inspector General of Police, attended by governors of the zone to show his
hatred for his brother, the MD of NDDC and the commission, when he said; “Let
me also use this opportunity that the MD of NDDC is here to state clearly that
NDDC does not own even a piece of land. It is the governors that are in charge
of land. NDDC should not enter any of the nine states to do any project without
permission from the governors. That is why they have not been able to execute
even a kilometer of road in my state, they have never commissioned even one
kilometer of road in my state. Because the projects are politicised… so we can
actually come together, this thing is a joint force.
The state government,
federal government agencies joining together to actually make sure we impact on
the lives of the people. When it is time for politics we will play politics,
when it’s time for development, let’s develop and impact on the lives of our
people and leave some of these things that we are doing. Let’s know that it is
time we come together and get some things done for our people.”
The governor got it all wrong. He
miscalculated and misfired. That wasn’t supposed to be the forum for such
address. His speech writers should take more of the punches here. Speeches are
written based on the occasion. This very one fell below expectations of Akwa
Ibom people and even the visiting guests to the event. It gave the governor out
as one struggling with complex. It portrayed Udom Emmanuel as a temperamental
Governor. It showed that the governor cannot control his anger in public. This
is a bad omen for his handlers. They need to work more on his temperament. If
possible, they should curtail the rate at which the governor faces a crowd of
more than 100 people, because it seems the over excitement of which perhaps
degenerates into misnomer.
Apparently, I am astonished that
Governor Emmanuel who is a member of the NDDC by virtue of being a member of
the NDDC Advisory Committee as stipulated in Part III Section 11; “(1) There is
hereby established for the Commission, a Niger-Delta Development Advisory
Committee (in this Act referred to as "the Advisory Committee") which
shall consist of; (a) the Governors of the member States of the Commission; and
(b) two other persons as may be determined, from time to time, by the
President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. (2) The Advisory Committee shall
be charged with the responsibility of advising the Board and monitoring the
activities of the Commission, with a view to achieving the objective of the
Commission. (3) The Advisory Committee may make rules regulating its own
proceedings,” would be drawing battle lines with the commission which he is a
MEMBER in public. Instead of resolving whatever differences there are,
internally at the level of the Advisory Committee. Except, as Akwa Ibom people
are now made to believe that there are more to these attacks on NDDC than meet
our eyes, which should not be at the detriment of development of the state and
empowerment of her people by the commission.
If my Governor does not have a
personal issue with the MD of NDDC, and with other development partners coming
to the state, then he should seek peaceful resolution of whatever
misunderstanding that exists between him and his brother – Nsima Ekere using
the NDDC Advisory Committee which he is a member.
Akwa Ibom people need to benefit
from more NDDC projects like other states that had produced the MD of the
commission.
Time to allow NDDC projects in Akwa
Ibom state is now!
• Franklyn Isong is a public
affairs commentator
No comments: