By EgbemaVoice,
The apex Ijaw media council ,the Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF) in Nigeria, has written to president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to institute a probe into the financial recklessness of the managing director of the Niger Delta development Commission,NDDC and the entire board, stating that NDDC had been turned to ATM machine for a few.
This was contained in a statement signed by the spokesman of the Ijaw Publishers Forum, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, on Monday.
The media council further called on prominent Niger Delta leaders to prevail on the Ogbuku led NDDC management to give stewardship of the trillions accrued to the commission over the period of his administration.
The Ijaw apex media organization said the probe had become imperative considering the non- impactful programs the commission is rerunning to siphon money belonging to the people of Niger Delta to their individual pockets.
IPF said Ogbuku is not interested in lifting Niger Delta region out of poverty, underdevelopment but very interesting in littering the region with abandoned projects and substandard programs.
The forum said despite the trillions accrued to the NDDC for the period of Ogbuku led administration, there was no rural electricity, drinkable water, good roads, bridges to connect rural communities to the urban cities, and an adequate health care centre among
among Niger Delta rural and riverine communities.
The forum also lamented that there was no any riverine community being connected to the national grid rather Ogbuku keeps installing low cost street solar lights that have no value in the lives of the people in a selective manner.
IPF insisted that NDDC fake programs such as Project Hope, NDDC Youth Internship Scheme, Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) should be probed, adding that they were not impactful but a medium of syphoning the Commission's Treasury.
The media council further added that Ogbuku was not working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's interest in winning the Niger Delta's support, but only interested in becoming the next governor of Bayelsa State.
The Ijaw Publishers' said Ogbuku was doing selective empowerment of boys that were loyal to him, political leaders he feels will support him for his political ambition, his numerous girl friends and his Ayakoro community.
According to them, Tinubu's re-election bid would suffer a terrible setback if Ogbuku-led NDDC management was not called to order, adding that many Niger Delta youth and communities were already angry at Tinubu for imposing Ogbuku on the throat of the commission and its people.
Reads full petition, .....
The Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF)
Apex Media Council of the Ijaw Nation
Petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Institute a Probe into the Financial Recklessness and Mismanagement of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Under the Leadership of Mr. Samuel Ogbuku
His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President and Commander-in-Chief
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Aso Rock Presidential Villa
Abuja, Nigeria
Date: Monday, 22nd July, 2025
Your Excellency,
We, the undersigned members of the Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF), the apex media council of the Ijaw Nation, humbly submit this petition to draw your attention to the ongoing mismanagement, financial recklessness, and selective governance practices under the leadership of the current Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Samuel Ogbuku, and the entire board of the Commission.
We respectfully request that Your Excellency institute an immediate and thorough investigation into the administration and activities of the NDDC, which we believe has been reduced to a private "ATM machine" for a select few, rather than a regional development agency for the benefit of the entire Niger Delta.
Grounds for Our Petition:
1. Lack of Transparency and Accountability:
Despite the trillions of naira accrued to the NDDC under the leadership of Mr. Ogbuku, there is no visible or meaningful impact on the lives of Niger Deltans. Rural communities continue to suffer due to the absence of basic infrastructure such as:
.Rural electricity and connection to the national grid,
.Access to clean and drinkable water
.Good road networks and bridges
.Functional and accessible healthcare centres
2. Widespread Abandonment and Substandard Projects:
Mr. Ogbuku's tenure has been characterized by numerous abandoned projects, the installation of low-cost, non-functional solar streetlights in a selective manner, and a general lack of interest in transformative development. These superficial projects do not address the real needs of the people.
3. Fraudulent Programs and Schemes:
The IPF strongly believes that schemes such as Project Hope, the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme, and the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) are merely instruments for siphoning public funds. These initiatives lack transparency, community participation, or measurable outcomes, and should be thoroughly audited.
4. Political Ambition Over Public Service:
It has become clear that Mr. Ogbuku is more interested in advancing his political ambition to become the next Governor of Bayelsa State than in genuinely serving the people of the Niger Delta. He is reportedly using NDDC resources for selective empowerment, favoring political loyalists, girlfriends, and individuals from his community of Ayakoro, instead of implementing inclusive and equitable development across the region.
5. Threat to Your Re-election Prospects:
We are deeply concerned that the continued imposition of Mr. Ogbuku upon the NDDC and the people of the Niger Delta could erode the support base of Your Excellency in the region. Many communities and youths are already disenchanted, feeling marginalized and betrayed. Unless urgent corrective steps are taken, this may pose serious political consequences for Your Excellency's 2027 re-election bid.
Our Demands:
That a Presidential Panel or EFCC-led investigative team be constituted to thoroughly probe the finances, programs, contracts, and activities of the NDDC under Mr. Samuel Ogbuku.
That all fraudulent and unexecuted projects be accounted for, and contractors involved be prosecuted.
That stewardship be rendered to the people of the Niger Delta, detailing how the trillions received by NDDC have been utilized during Mr. Ogbuku’s tenure.
That immediate steps be taken to restructure the NDDC leadership and return it to a path of transparent, people-focused, and impactful development.
Your Excellency, we trust in your administration’s commitment to transparency, equity, and justice. We urge you to act now to save the NDDC and redeem your image among the people of the Niger Delta.
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Long Live the Niger Delta Region.
Long Live President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Respectfully submitted,
Comrade Austin Ozobo
President Ijaw Publishers Forum (IPF)
Comrade Tare maegbe secretary Ijaw Publishers Forum (IPF),
Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala
Spokesman, Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF)
On behalf of the Ijaw Publishers' Forum
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