N’Delta monarch calls for stiff penalty on Buhari if he fails to inaugurate confirmed NDDC board

By Ebi Perekeme

Amidst growing controversies over the non-inauguration of an already screened and confirmed board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, a first class traditional ruler in the Niger Delta and Ovie of Idjerhe kingdom – His Royal Majesty, King Obukowho Monday Whiskey JP, Udurhie 1, has said the National Assembly should urgently veto the President and order for the immediate inauguration as refusing to do so will amount to undermining the constitutional functions of the National Assembly.

The outspoken monarch said since the nominees were nominated by Mr President and were duely screened and confirmed by the National Assembly, there is no other authority known to law that can stop their inauguration and urged the National Assembly to invoke the doctrine of necessity and stop the current dance of shame that is ongoing at the interventionist agency.

“Billions have been wasted and outrightly looted and more are still currently been looted and, as a people, we cannot continue in this shameful and very disgraceful manner,” he stated.

Adding that, “the Niger Delta has not been so bad in the past 20 years of the NDDC’s existence that one single individual in the name of Minister of Niger Delta Affairs will hijack the administrative structures and interventionist agency working for the socio-economic development of a sensitive region like the Niger Delta and entire nation’s leadership and we go to sleep as if all is well.

“The Federal Government can no longer pretend that the unholy alliance between Obong Godswill Obot Akpabio and some principal officers of the Federal Government to ignite uncontrollable crisis is not known to it and as a Natural Ruler, I owe my people and the federation the testament of speaking truth to authority so that history will be kind to me and all the oppressed people of the region of the Niger Delta.

“The National Assembly must now rise to the occasion to save the Niger Delta region from the sorry state of an individual who has deliberately decided to abandon his ministerial responsibilities and take over the rulership of the NDDC..

“The submission of the controversial forensic audit report without the promised inauguration, is an insult on the people of the entire oil/gas producing communities in Nigeria that must be corrected now by urgently inaugurating the long-overdue board as screened and confirmed by the National Assembly.