NDDC: Buhari orders coordinated investigation

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a speedy and better coordinated job among security and investigating agencies with the National Assembly on the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

A presidential media aide, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Thursday, said this was to ensure that the administration’s effort to bring sanity, transparency and accountability to the management of the large amount of resources dedicated to development of the Niger Delta sub-region was not derailed.

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President Buhari’s reaction followed the unfolding drama, including attacks and counter attacks between and around persons, institutions, and the NDDC.

The President voiced his determination to get to the root of the problem undermining the development of the Niger Delta and its peoples in spite of enormous national resources voted year after year for this singular purpose.

According to the directive, 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 ordered 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.

Buhari, who said the administration wants to bring about “rapid, even and sustainable development to the region”, assured that his administration would put in place a transparent and accountable governance framework, not only in the NDDC but in all other institutions of government.