Reports circulating in some online media, claiming that the the Niger Delta Commission, (NDDC), is diverting funds intended for contractors to finance the Edo All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship campaign are false, the Commission has said.
NDDC in a statement issued by Mrs. Seledi Thompson-Wakama, its Director, Corporate Affairs, the Commission was constrained to respond to the reports which she described as false story, about an imaginary diversion of NDDC funds, which was “curiously…attributed to undisclosed sources from the rumour mill”.
To set the records straight, noted the statement, NDDC does not sponsor political parties or candidates contesting in elections at any level of government, adding that the Commission’s mandate was to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta region.
The Board and Management of the NDDC is now more than ever determined to uphold its mantra, which is: “Making a Difference”, in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region.
Read the statement: “We urge members of the public to disregard the false stories spread by mischief-makers to derail the various innovations being introduced by the NDDC Board and Management, led by the Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie and the Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.
“We are fully aware of an increasing need to be seen to be more accountable to the public and to conduct our affairs in a more transparent manner.
“Responding to this reality, we engaged the KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy, to review and strengthen our corporate governance system, as well as improve our internal processes and institutional protocols. They have helped us to establish a new institutional culture, anchored on sound ethics and good corporate governance.
“As part of this control mechanism, we recently held a meeting with members of the NDDC Advisory Committee, comprising Governors of the nine Niger Delta States, statutorily empowered to advise and monitor the activities of the Commission.
“We are committed to working with all our stakeholders to drive the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. To achieve this goal, we are collaborating with development partners, including the State governments in the Niger Delta region, ‘to build a region that is socially stable, economically prosperous, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful’.
“We assure our stakeholders and members of the public that the NDDC Board and Management will not be distracted in its resolve to do things differently and make a difference in the Niger Delta region”.