Oil producing communities have slammed the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike for description of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as “a cash cow”.
Wike had on Monday during the flag of 50.1km of the Port Harcourt ring road described the commission as a cash cow and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reorganize the place for productivity.
Reacting to the statement, Comrade Joseph Ambakederimo, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas (CDC) and Mr. Augustine Iyamu, Head of Secretariat, said the statement was unbecoming of a former governor and a Niger Delta son.
“The statement made by ex- Governor Wike is misplaced and can be referred to as careless talk from an individual who wants to use the bashing of the NDDC to score cheap political mileage and worm his way into the heart of President Bola Tinubu for political patronage.
“It will be disingenuous for anyone for that matter to make unsubstantiated claims and smear the leadership that is trying hard to make a difference to develop a pathway for the infrastructure development of the region even with the meagre resources that are available at its disposal.
“Why we are not dismissing the ex-Governor’s assertion in totality, we agree that there have been some questionable developments and unwholesome practices in the recent past that leave a repugnant taste in the mouth. But it has not always been gloom and doom. No doubt there have been many very good deeds earned by the NDDC, which abound everywhere in the Niger Delta area; therefore, to paint the agency with one brush would be nocuous.
“I thought the political leadership from the region and all those who are close to the President should be lobbying the President to approve and release all the backlog of revenue shortfall due to the NDDC for purposes of providing a best-in-class infrastructure across the region and pursue human capital development that we lack, bring the youthful population out of poverty and empower our rural women to become self-sustaining including encouraging our people to embrace agriculture.
“This is what is expected from all of us leaders and stakeholders rather than casting aspersions on a very serious minded group of managers who have shown capacity to engage in mega projects like never before in the history of the commission.
