George Onah
14 September, 2011, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt-The dissolution of the board and sacking of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission by President Goodluck Jonathan has attracted reactions from stakeholders, political parties and individuals in the region.
Praising the president the Rivers Action Congress of Nigeria said, “the conduct of the sacked board members was a shame, as the appointees apparently lost sight of their mission and indulged more in fraudulent and dishonourable activities.
Signed by its publicity secretary Jerry Needam the party praised “the courage of the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan in taking the decisive step which was in line with recommendations of the special panel set up to investigate the commission.
ACN wants the presidency to fully probe and mete out stiff penalties to all who may have involved themselves in shady and dishonest transactions within and on behalf of the commission”.
Also, Niger Delta Contractors Association said the prompt action of the president on the Steve Orosanye report was most commendable.
Jointly signed by Chief Ernest Egbe and Sam Etim, President and secretary of the association respectively, the group said contractors handling various projects in the region have been kept in the cooler because of the wrangling going on in the commission
We ought to have returned to site during the August break but “lack of mobilization by the commission has made that impossible because of the crisis”.
NIDECA regrets that the commission was unable to implement the 2011 annual budget which it said was related to the long rift in the NDDC.
It then called for the immediate constitution of a new board and appointment of a new MD to fast-track the pending matters of the commission.
