Nigeria’s former senate leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has sued for transparency and accountability in the implementation of the 3% settlor’s annual operating expenditure to the host communities.
Senator Ndoma-Egba made the call during an interview with newsmen in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
Ndoma-Egba said, “I would have wished the host communities got more but from what I know of the region, it is not just having enough but the mechanism for the transparency and accountability of whatever you get.”
He reasoned that despite the region being blessed with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, the desired changes in the fortunes of the people were yet to be seen.
“All these organisations I have mentioned have been run by sons and daughters of the region, has there been any change? So, you added another five or 10 percent without ensuring that there are mechanism for accountability and transparency in the use of these funds, without a master plan for the region, without serious stakeholders commitment to the implementation of a predetermined master plan for the region, you will just be getting more money to filter away,” he averred.
The former senate leader insisted, “at this point in time it will make more sense to me if we have a mechanism to ensure that the three percent that has been provided for is transparently and judiciously used to develop the region.”
According to him, the region had developed what he described as a “water tight’ stakeholders master plan, which was abandoned soon after passage.
He queried, “what have we seen to reflect the amount of money we received in the region in the last 20 years? So if you do not have any strategy, methodology, any mechanism for transparency and accountability you will be just be getting more money to waste.”
Integrate economies
On the implementation of the strategy for the region, Ndoma-Egba recommended that the ministry and commission should collaborate for the integration of the region’s economy rather than compete with local governments to build classroom blocks.
Between the Minister and the NDDC, they could develop a master plan for the region that integrates the economies of member states and leave these pitiable projects that are done in competition with local governments or building classroom blocks.
I think they can do better than that.
“by now, there should have been coastal roads linking all the NDDC states; by now we could have had an aviation hub in the states, specialists hospitals in the region, develop sports to a level it would have become a major industry to engage our young men and women.
“By now we would have improved the fibre optic of the region to increase internet penetration and challenge the creativity of our young men and women. But what we see is the NDDC building a borehole on the other side of the street and at the end of the day you have two boreholes that are not working because there is no ownership of the projects,” he opined.
The former senate leader, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria added: “For me, whether it is three or five percent, it is premature. The ultimate goal is we get to a point where we have true federalism that every region, every state controls her resources.
He adds that before they get to that position, they should establish systems that will guarantee transparency.
Lateefah Ibrahim
