From Tayese Mike, Yenagoa

Former Commander of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and foremost ex-militant leader, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, popularly known as General Boyloaf has thrown his weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari over the order for forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), saying the ordered audit will remold the NDDC into a corruption free and infrastructure-oriented commission for the people of the region.

Boyloaf rated President Muhammadu Buhari high over the ordered forensic audit insisting that the people of the region are more elated that the present administration is the first and only President in Nigeria to have directed the search light and ordered for a forensic audit of the almost 20 years of existence of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC).

“It is truly commendable”.

He also called on President Buhari to ignore the calls for the scrapping of the Commission over the recent controversies of alleged financial misappropriation in the commission.

According to him, instead of the calls for the scrapping of the commission the National Assembly, the NDDC IMC and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio should sheath their swords and be seen to be ensuring that there exist within a new repositioned commission in line with timely execution, completion, and submission of forensic audit reports to Mr. President.

Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, in a statement yesterday issued via electronic mail and made available to Daily Asset, said though the ex-agitators and other stakeholders from the Nine States of the Niger Delta region are concerned about the brouhaha and controversies between the National Assembly and the NDDC Interim Management Commission. “There is the need for a sustainable mechanism to be put in place to checkmate non-performing federal government interventionist agency in order to work more in synergy with the various stakeholders in the states, local governments and communities in the region”.

“The President’s action, which is being resisted by some corrupt few, has confirmed to the people of the Niger Delta region that the President’s penchant for accountability and probity is second to none. It also confirms the President’s interest that a corruption free NDDC is for the benefit of the people in the region, and for the Commission to use the scarce resources judiciously for the interest of the Niger Delta people”.

“At this peculiar time in the life of the people in the Niger Delta region, what we need is a corruption free partnership among stakeholders that are made up of Traditional Rulers, Youths, Civil Society groups, State Governors, Members of the State and National Assemblies to be backing the President’s decision to ensure sanity within the administration of the NDDC for the benefit of all our people”.

“We, the ex-agitators, have accepted the call for a rejuvenated NDDC and want to call on the Members of the National Assembly, the NDDC Interim Management Committee and the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio not to yield to the temptation for continued theatrics, but rather to engage in meaningful dialogue with sincere stakeholders to work in synergy to achieve the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari for the development of the Niger Delta region and Nigeria”.

Boyloaf, who is one of the founding fathers of the peace process in the region, however said despite the worries expressed over the controversies being generated with the probe initiated by the National Assembly, the ex-agitators remained calm due to their interest in sustaining peace and to promote proper development in the region, “our calm disposition towards the noticeable dramatics, brouhaha, and the recent ignoble calls for the scrapping of the NDDC should be understandable. We, as stakeholders in the events leading to the establishment of the NDDC, know the pains, bloodshed, sacrifices and tortuous journey which led to the peace resolutions that brought about the establishment of the various intervention agencies particularly the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)”.