CSOs ask Buhari to reform NDDC

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Niger Delta region and beyond have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out an urgent reform in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). 

The commission has been in the news lately over alleged misappropriation of about N80 billion. 

In a letter dated August 9, the CSOs asked the president to direct the anti-graft agencies to carry out the necessary prosecution. 

“We urge you to; Temporarily, halt the activities of the commission in its present manner, (haven completely lost both focus and public trust),” part of the letter read.

“(Presidency) Assume direct supervision of the commission and oversee effective reforms in it to make the commission open, transparent and accountable. (These proposed reforms are further expounded in the document; CIVIL SOCIETIES, COMMUNITIES POSITION PAPER ON NDDC).

“Oversee and strengthen the forensic audit of the commission. This is crucial to having an accurate and unbiased audit report on the financial activities of the commission in the past years. The audit exercise needs to be independent and conclusive, and its report/findings should importantly, be made public. 

“Going forward, an audit should be a regular exercise in the commission, and of which reports should be published in the website. Initiate a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) template for the commission, to promote a public-private partnership approach to community engagement involving participatory development processes to address community needs in the Niger Delta and accordingly enforce community engagement in projects designing and monitoring execution.

“Set up a multi-stakeholder partnership which would include a team of Civil Society Organisations and individuals with proven track record of integrity, to closely monitor the activities of the NDDC, including a close monitoring of the independent audit exercise, and issue regular reports.

“Immediately activate anti-graft agencies to prosecute without delay, the extensive corrupt acts and infractions that have featured in the Commission, many of which have been confirmed by conclusive investigations, including the ‘Senate Report On The Investigation Of The Alleged Financial Recklessness In The NDDC’, August, 2020.” 

The CSOs added that the seeming silence from authorities in this regard seems to lend credence to the notion of condoning corruption in the country.

Among the CSOs who signed the letter are; Social Development Integrated Centre (Social Action, Nigeria), Anti-Corruption Network, Rivers state, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy, AFRICMIL, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Take It Back Nigeria Movement.