Senate President Akpabio, Reveals Reason Behind NDDC’s Woes
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has identified internal disunity and leadership crises as the root causes of long-standing challenges within the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Speaking at the grand finale of the NDDC’s 25th anniversary celebration in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Akpabio, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, gave an unfiltered insight into the dysfunctions that have plagued the Commission for years.
“There are many reasons for the problems in the NDDC,” he said. “One major issue is leadership tussle. In the region, everyone wants to be in charge there’s hardly any patience to wait for one’s turn.”
Akpabio lamented that infighting within successive management teams often derails progress, with internal conspiracies leading to frequent leadership changes and abandoned plans.
He revealed that over 17,500 NDDC projects have been left uncompleted due to the instability at the top. “Each management conspires against itself, aided by staff members on the ground who often hope to benefit from the fallouts,” he added.
Sharing a telling example from his tenure as Minister, Akpabio said the NDDC spent more than two decades operating from a rented building on Aba Road, paying N300 million annually despite the facility not even being connected to the national grid.
His remarks sparked renewed calls for transparency, accountability, and unity within the NDDC to fulfil its mandate of developing the oil-rich but under-served Niger Delta region.
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