By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Tension, fear, suspense appear to be the pervading mood of some old staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) because of plans by the newly inaugurated board to reposition the commission.
Chairman of NDDC’s new board, Lauretta Onochie, had, penultimate Thursday, vowed to reposition the commission to enable it bring the much-needed development in the Niger Delta whose people have continued to languish in abject poverty.
However, inside sources have revealed that the body language of some of the old staff show that they are not comfortable with the sanitization exercise that is expected to be carried out as part of the repositioning process by the new board.
According to sources, the old staff in question are concerned about their involvement in some shady contract deals and other transactions being exposed in the course of the sanitization process.
“They are afraid that the board may sack them if it discovers that they are involved in some of the fraudulent deals that set the commission backward. That’s why they’re now worried and doing everything possible to cover up their past activities,” one of the sources said.
According to another source, these old may, out of desperation, decide to destroy essential documents likely to expose their fraudulent activities.
The source added: “Right now they’re not comfortable because they have seen that the new board is determined to change the narrative. The new woman is a no-nonsense person and will not spare any corrupt staff.
“If care is not taken, they may resort to hiding or destroying these documents,both contract and audit documents, to avoid being exposed.”
The Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Lauretta Onochie, had, on resumption of duty on Thursday, decried the level of underdevelopment in the Niger Delta despite the presence of NDDC in the region, lamenting that funds earmarked for developmental projects are looted.
She then promised that her tenure would reposition the NDDC and change the Niger Delta narrative.
“This organisation was commissioned specifically for the people of the Niger Delta. It is an interventionist agency that is supposed to bring about prosperity; it is supposed to bring development in our region.
“This organisation was set up in 2000. And, if you go around the Niger Delta to date, there is little or nothing to show for it. NDDC has been a shame of the Niger Delta and a shame of our nation,” Onochie said.
