We hold no brief for the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, but frankly speaking the (NDDC), the interventionist agency which was established in 1999 to rescue the oil-producing communities from the throes of want and squalor is deep in corruption since the Former NDDC Managing Director Mr Timi Alaibe took over the reign of the agency by blackmailing and intimidation of his predecessor.
It was a well known fact that this character started his war drum since the Alamaighshiga’s tenure as the governor of Balyesa State. He was instrumental to the impeachment of The man regarded as Ijaw Governor General. He also waged a guerilla war against the current President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan before God in his own infinite mercy elevated the president above him. The tension that had enveloped the Commission in the last few months is the handiwork of Timi Alaibe protégée called Power Aginigan the former acting MD of the agency.
The genesis of this problem started on August 6, 2009, the very day the new MD/CEO as- summed office. The new board was inaugurated in Abuja, the former acting Managing Director, Power Aginigan, had in- formed the new MD that he was ready to hand over. The day was Thursday. He said he wanted the new MD to move to Port Harcourt the next day, but because Ugwoha had a meeting on the same day, he told him that he would assume duty the following Monday, which was the 10th, Ugwoha left Abuja on Sunday evening and got to Port Harcourt, only to discover that there was no preparation made for his arrival.
On Monday morning when he had to resume at his duty post, there was no vehicle to convey him. So he had to think of a quick fix. He called a colleague in his former company, Total E&P Nigeria Limited, and requested for a vehicle when he got to the NDDC office, he expected that the former Acting Managing Director would welcome him on arrival. But he did not see him. Later, he saw a lady and a man who came to ask him to accompany them to where they were praying. But he told them that he was not aware that they were supposed to be having a prayer session that morning. He was then told by the duo that the acting MD was at the prayer session Ugwoha asked them to call Aginigan.
When he came out, he simply said to the new MD: “Can we go in to where we are praying over there?”. But Ugoha declined and told him that he would rather that he took him to the boardroom and wait for them to conclude their prayer session because he was not invited, Aginigan suggested he would take Ugwoha to his office but the new helmsman insisted that he wanted to stay in the boardroom or even the reception. That was how he waited for close to one hour before Aginigan resurfaced to take him at round.
After the tour, Ugwoha requested that they carried out the handover process. At this pont, Aginigan left. Ugwoha had to wait for him for over three hours before he (Ugwoha) sent someone to him that if the handover process was no longer feasible that day, then he could go and come back the next day, thereafter, Aginigan came with a lean file at about 5pm Ugwoha expressed surprise at the volume of documents in the file and said that he expected to see a more comprehensive file of details of activities at the NDDC so that he could understand how the place is run. Aginigan told Ugwoha that there was nothing other than what he had brought.
Ugwoha concurred and then requested to know the financial health of the Commission. Again, Aginigan just brought a sheet of paper with several bank accounts and Ugwoha asked why there were so many banks involved. Ugwoha then told Aginigan that he was aware that corporate accounts usually have two columns for signature, but that he did not know how NDDC worked.
Aginigan told Ugwoha that he (Ugwoha) was supposed to sign signature ‘A’ with the Executive Director, Project, EDP, while he (Aginigan) would sign signature ‘B’ when Ugwoha asked him to elaboratae on what he mearnt by signature ‘A’, Aginigan said that ‘A’ was for the confirmation officer Ugwoha then told Aginigan to sign ‘A’ while he would sign ‘B’ , but Aginigan insisted on signing ‘B’ while Ugwoha was discussing this with Aginigan, the Executive Director, Finance and Adminstration (EDFA), Esoetok Ettah, the Executive Director in charge of projects came in. the refusing to sign. And the EDP told him that he didn’t care who signed what. Ugwoha told them that if he was designated as the chief accounting officer, he must be able to account for every kobo going out. The matter was reported to Abuja by Aginigan, where the secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), wrote a letter DATED May 11,2010, which was addressed to Chibuzor Ugwoha, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of-ficer of the Commission in it, the SGF ordered that all contract awards and financial dealing in the Commission must conform with the Public Procurement Act 2007, a position Ugwoha had all along canvases since he resume at the Commission as the new helmsman it was the blunt refusal of some of the directors in the Commission to follow due process and embrace change the heated up the system.
Ugwoha would not succumb to such intimidation. As the Chief Accounting Officer, and Public Procurement Act, 2007, he knew he would be held personally liable, irrespective of whether he delegated functions. He knew they had to do the right thing to avoid a repeat of the Bode George saga. But that never want down well with them, and so, they started plotting against him. Not only this. They insisted that the NDDC’s authorization manual was superior to the Public Procurement Act 2007. But the two directors who has being milking from this massive corruption refused to take any briefing from the MD, and from that first day, it was obvious that the battle line had been drawn. To them, the new MD wanted to , act all costs, proven he knew something and could perform better than them. It was like Ugwoha wanted to control them rather than they controlling him. Instead of being carried along, they felt it was Ugwoha that needed to be carried along.
But Ugwoha stood his ground His argument was that at the time this authorization manual thing was prepared in 2002, there was nothing like the Public Procurement Act, meaning that there was a lacuna at the time. The law was not in existences. And as such, anything could happen the. But this was 2009, two years after the Act came into existence. He felt there was no reason why the law could not be implemented by the NDDC even before his arrival.
The next thing was that one of the aggrieved directors went to his office and started making calls to Abuja, saying that the MD was scuttling the post-amnesty deal by not allowing him to sign. That was the beginning of the NDDC crisis. And the SGF had to intervene.
The crisis in the NDDC only goes to show the level of decay, lawlessness and arbitrariness that provide government institutions in Niger Delta area where civil servants are richer than their states. Or how can we explain the fat Bank account of Mr Power Aginigan with the Zenith Bank which is in excess of N2.7Billion Naira and another account with Barclays Bank of England with whopping amount of £876 Million Ponds. If Ugwoha had not braved the odds, the old order that sustains fleece and graft could have triumphed in the commission. If we are actually serious about fighting corruption in this county, all hands must be on deck.
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