In reaction to the unfolding drama, attacks, and counter-attacks between and around persons, institutions, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), President Muhammadu Buhari, moving to handle the quagmire charged security and investigating agencies, along with the National Assembly to engage necessary and coordinated inquiry into the development.
The president explained in Abuja that the coordinated probe has become imperative in view of the government's effort towards ensuring that the administration's effort to bring sanity, transparency, and accountability to the management of the huge sums of resources dedicated to the development of the Niger Delta sub-region was not thwarted.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Thursday, Buhari said auditing firms and investigative agencies working in collaboration with National Assembly committees to resolve the challenges in the NDDC must initiate actions in a time-bound manner and duly inform the Presidency of the actions being taken.
"The President also directed timely sharing of information and knowledge in a way to speedily assist the administration to diagnose what had gone wrong in the past and what needs to be done to make corrections in order to return the NDDC to its original mandate of making life better for people in Niger Delta." the statement said.
"President Buhari said the administration wants to bring about rapid, even and sustainable development to the region.
"The President gave a firm assurance that his administration would put in place a transparent and accountable governance framework not only in the NDDC but in all other institutions of governance," it added.
In relation, the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC also on Thursday, called for the arrest of the acting Managing Director of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, after he and his team walked out on the lawmakers.
