The Global Center for Good Governance, GCGG, has tasked the Senate on the need to embark on a thorough probe of the allegations leveled against the Interim Management Committee, IMC of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The group in a statement, yesterday, also affirmed that it is not interested in the likely outcome of the probe adding that if the allegations against the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio, and the IMC are irresponsible, an unreserved apology should be extended to them.
GCGG Country Director, Dr. Chris Udoh in the statement, said: “We salute both chambers of the National Assembly for rising to the challenges of exercising its oversight functions on the NDDC.
“If the maelstrom of allegations against the Minister and the IMC turn out to be irresponsible and callous attempts to smear and tar them, then, the unreserved apology of the public should be extended to them.
“If, however, at the end of the investigation it is discovered that something terrible and powerful, something that is beyond our ken has surreptitiously taken over the levers of power at NDDC at the expense of our collective interest simply because its money tastes like the nectar of the gods, then our only demand would be that the guilty be severely punished and all the wrongs made right.
“In that case, we would urge the National Assembly to recommend to the appropriate authorities that the IMC and the Minister recuse themselves from further administering the affairs of the commission.
“The Minister should also be instructed to restrict himself to his ministry instead of ignoring the area of his primary assignment and fixing his gaze on NDDC and the original mistake of the IMC corrected by immediately inaugurating the statutory board as recognized under the law to manage the affairs of the commission.”
