A group under the aegis of the League of Nigerian Professionals (LNP) has described a recent memo issued by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as fraudulent.
The letter says management staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were not affected by the recent dissolution of the board of the agency by President Bola Tinubu.
The group questioned why the NDDC has been singled out and given preferential treatment, and whether its board chairman, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and other members should return to their duties to provide the lacking checks and balances and accountability to the commission.
LNP said that “the alleged fraudulent memo from Dr. Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs completely makes a mockery of the President’s directives”.
According to the LNP, the memo with reference number MNDA/PRS/502/S.I/T2/61, which was dated June 4, 2023, and signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Shuaib Belgore (OON) was in reply to a clarification sought by the NDDC.
The clarification sought by the NDDC was referenced NDDC/MD/MNDA/PS/2023/06/01 and quoted in the memo as dated June 26, 2023, which is confusing as the memo quoting the letter was dated June 4, 2023.
This and some other issues are what the LNP said would need to be clarified.
The group stated that despite the dissolution order by President Bola Tinubu, the memo signed by Belgore reads, "That the status of two (2) Executive Directors in the Commission remains valid as bonafide members of the management of the Commission”.
“And that the recent dissolution of the governing board of the commission by the Federal Government does not affect them being Management Staff. In view of the above, I wish to re-emphasize that the commission maintains the status-quo ante pending further directives."
The National Coordinator of the LNP, Barr. Felix Urhogide, said the discrepancy on the date the memo was issued by Belgore makes this case suspicious, adding that "the legality of the memo and the content is against the dissolution order issued by the Federal Government and President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu."
Urhogide said, "The Federal Government issued the dissolution directive on the 19th of June, 2023 that all boards were dissolved. Some agencies of government including the NDLEA, NPC, Police Service Commission, etc. were exempted. But the Niger Delta Affairs Ministry in the memo created their own exception portfolio as against the Federal Government directive. Is that legal and genuine?"
"Nigerians demand answers to these questions. How come the PS of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs have such powers to counter the directives of the Federal Government and President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu?
“Is it that the power for further exemption is domiciled in the hands of the permanent secretaries and not the President? Also, will other MDAs return to their previous positions as usual without recourse to the FG and President’s directives?"
The LNP called on the Nigerian government and President Tinubu not to disappoint Nigerians because "Nigerians were elated when the order to dissolve all governing boards and parastatals was issued”.
“But they are shocked that the heads of such boards and agencies were left behind and as such arose the illegality and continued looting of resources of the country by the same old politicians.
"We call on President Tinubu to immediately dissolve the Managing Directors and Chief Executive officers in these MDAs in order to halt the secret looting and save the country from unimaginable losses," he added.