Ex-militant Leaders Call On EFCC To Probe NDDC Over N4Billion Spent On PDP 2015 Election

Ex-militant leaders in the Niger Delta region have called on anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the dissolved Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission for allegedly spending N4bn to sponsor the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2015 elections.

The ex-warlords claims that NDDC bankrolled PDP including the failed re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan with the money meant for the development of the region.

Coming under the auspices of the Niger Delta Watchdogs, the ex-warlords, however commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the dissolving the NDDC board, wondered how such agency would complete its projects if it voted such huge amount for political reasons.

In a statement on Thursday, made available to newsmen, the ex-militants argued that while former President Olusegun Obasanjo established the NDDC for the development of the region, the immediate past board turned the commission into an institution for sponsoring "PDP elections in 2015".

Signed by ‘General’ John Duku’ and three others on behalf of the NDW, the group declared that the NDDC spent over N4bn in sponsoring PDP elections when abandoned projects, belonging to the commission littered the entire Niger Delta region.

“The formation of the NDDC by former President Olusegun Obasanjo was for the development of the Niger Delta region. But the immediate past board of the commission has derailed from the aims and objectives of the commission and turned the commission into a political finance institution by using the money meant for the development of the Niger Delta Master plan to sponsor PDP elections in 2015.

“We were so shock that the commission spent over N4bn to sponsor PDP elections whereas abandoned projects by the commission are scattered all over the Niger Delta region.

"We call on EFCC to investigate and bring the immediate past board to justice”.

Meanwhile, the ex-militant leaders have  urged President Buhari to appoint a technocrat and God-fearing person as the new managing director of the NDDC.

"We salute the courage of the President to dissolve the NDDC saying that over 45 commanders who met under the auspices of the Niger Delta Watchdogs, also suggested that the President should appoint someone with experience in the oil and gas industry and maintained that such step would make it easier for the NDDC to relate with the oil companies with a view to developing the region.

The group also advised Buhari to reject any nomination from politicians.