The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has refuted reports claiming it thwarted funds earmarked for contractors to finance the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship campaigns in Edo State.
The commission declared that it would not support political parties running for office at any level of government in a statement that was signed by Seledi Thomson-Wakama, its director of corporate affairs.
The statement said: “To set the records straight, NDDC does not sponsor political parties or candidates contesting in elections at any level of government. Our mandate is to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta region.
“The Board and Management of the NDDC is now more than ever determined to uphold its mantra, which is, ‘Making a Difference’, in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta region.
“We urge members of the public to disregard the false stories spread by mischief-makers to derail the various innovations being introduced by the NDDC Board and Management, led by the Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie and the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku”.
According to the statement, the commission understood that it was becoming more and more important to be perceived as being more transparent in its business dealings and accountable to the public.
“Responding to this reality, we engaged the KPMG, a reputable global business consultancy, to review and strengthen our corporate governance system, as well as improve our internal processes and institutional protocols. They have helped us to establish a new institutional culture, anchored on sound ethics and good corporate governance.
“As part of this control mechanism, we recently held a meeting with members of the NDDC Advisory Committee, comprising governors of the nine Niger Delta states, statutorily empowered to advise and monitor the activities of the Commission”, the commission said.
The statement went on to say that the commission was dedicated to collaborating with relevant parties to further President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
It said: “To achieve this goal, we are collaborating with development partners, including the state governments in the Niger Delta region, ‘to build a region that is socially stable, economically prosperous, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful’.
“We assure our stakeholders and members of the public that the NDDC Board and Management will not be distracted in its resolve to do things differently and make a difference in the Niger Delta region”.
