By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South
Akpabio’s style and tactics: SINCE he was sworn-in August 2019 as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Godswill Akpabio, many would confess, has the ears of his boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, the manner he secures presidential imprimatur for snooping decisions on the Niger-Delta Development Commission, NDDC, an interventionist agency under the supervision of his ministry.
In some way, he flings the high-level connection brazenly at people. And the problem numerous stakeholders of the region have with him is that the running of NDDC begins and ends on his table, whether his actions are permissible or otherwise. On this account, quite a number have, if truth be told, given up on NDDC, concluding it was the minister’s vineyard.
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Unarguably, Akpabio superintends over NDDC as his country estate with contrivances as Interim Management Committee, IMC, and Interim Administrator rather than the management structure and governing board certified by the Act establishing the Commission. Until date, his hand-picked acolytes and devotees run the agency at his command.
A classic Akpabio also has a way of explaining his revolting actions and creating impression that his critics were toothless each time he runs into a difficulty with his more than a few capers.
Take the selection of his former aide and kinsman, Mr. Effiong Akwa, as sole administrator, which many described as illegality after Prof Keme Pondei-led IMC was sacked, December, last year, Akpabio, throwing his authorization from President Buhari at the faces of his faultfinders, declared it was fallacious to refer to a presidential appointment as an illegality.
READ ALSO: NDDC: Call Akpabio to order, group tells Buhari, Nat’l assembly
”Even the first Executive Director of Finance and Administration acted as Sole Administrator of NDDC at various times, we have also had a sole administrator from Rivers state in the person of Sime Tare, we…
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