The Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, has said that the recent dissolution of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), was done to halt corruption in the interventionist agency.
The minister who was on a courtesy visit to Governor Godwin Obaseki at Government House, in Benin City added that the new leadership of the ministry would not condone corruption in the ministry, hence the choice of the right people in the right places.
Speaking on the forensic audit of the NDDC, Senator Alasoadura said it is necessary to know what was wrong in the past and what can be done to remedy it.
“We know a lot of corrupt practices was perpetuated in NDDC in the past, as almost N3 trillion was expended with nothing to show for it. We have about 12,000 abandoned NDDC projects and these are projects that are not really worth doing at all.” he said.
Senator Alasoadura noted that the ministry was happy with the dissolution of the NDDC board by the President, as it was set up at a wrong time.
Senator Alasoadura commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for ensuring a conducive environment in the state for businesses to thrive and assured him of the ministry’s support for his government.
On his part, Governor Obaseki expressed his support for the reorganization that is taking place in the NDDC. He submitted that Edo has been the most deprived State in terms of resources that were allocated to it through the NDDC
The Governor pledged that the state government would work better with the new management of the Ministry of Niger Delta as it believes that the ministry would ensure that the NDDC is no longer used as political slush fund but for the development of the region.
BESIRU ENAKHIMION
FIC BENIN
