Hon. Samson Osagie

Samson Raphael Osagie

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Samson Raphael Osagie, a seasoned legal practitioner, arbitrator and notary public, has been providing efficient and cutting-edge professional services to clients – individuals as well as private and public organisations. With over two decades of professional service, Dr Osagie devotes a good part of his energy to fighting for justice for people that are wrongly accused, the downtrodden, and people who do not have the means to pay for legal services. Dr Osagie is currently the Managing Partner at his Abuja-based law firm with offices in Lagos, Benin, and he is also into partnership with renowned law firms in the United Kingdom. He is the Executive Director of the Centre for Advanced and Dynamic Leadership for Development and the Managing Consultant of Samraph Global Consults Ltd.

Dr Osagie began his legal career in 1996 as a Pupil State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Ogun State, and later moved to Benin-City, the Edo State capital to establish his law firm known as Samson Imarhiagbe-Osagie & Co. Apart from being an accomplished lawyer, he has demonstrated competence as a marketer and business development professional. In 2017, he worked as an Executive Director (Marketing and Business Development) at the Nigeria Communications Satellite Ltd (NIGCOMSAT), a position he held until December 2019.

Samson Raphael Osagie

He ventured into politics and contested his first election into the Edo State House of Assembly for three consecutive times, while representing Uhunmwode State Constituency. As a result of his outstanding performance as a vibrant legislator, he was elected into the House of Representatives in 2007 to represent Orhionmwon and Uhunmwode Federal Constituency where he served on some important committees, including being the Chairman, Technical Sub Committee on the Amendment to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the Deputy Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill. He was also the Minority Whip of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2015. Dr Osagie contested and won the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Edo South Senatorial District in the 2015 general election but lose out.

In the course of his public service, he has contributed immensely to human and infrastructural development of his constituency and Edo State. Dr Osagie has gained national and international acclaim for his vibrant legislative activities, particularly for the introduction of several bills. He also raised critical issues of national importance such as the non-remittance of revenue to federation accounts, the killings of Nigerians abroad, to mention but a few.

As a philanthropist, Dr Osagie has engaged in many community development services. He has facilitated the employment of youths into several government agencies and public services. Dr Osagie gives scholarships every year to indigent but academically outstanding students in secondary schools and universities, regardless of their ethnic background. He has also facilitated the construction of roads, hospitals, and electricity supply to about 20 communities while serving as a representative of Orhionmwon/ Uhunmwode constituency at the National Assembly.

Samson Raphael Osagie

He has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities as a politician and a professional, and these have earned him numerous awards such as Distinguished Service Award (DSA) by SSAUBTH; Africa Democratic Merit Award for Good Leadership; Best Legislator of the Year Award by the NYCN in 2006; African Public Service Award; Voice of Magazine Netherlands, 2015; Benin Achievers Award by the Oba of Benin, 2007; Distinguished Achievers Award by Great Ife Alumni Association, UK Chapter 2012; Certificate of Legislative Excellence, for being the most outstanding Honorable Member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, by Award Media Events (AME), 29 July, 2009; Great Achievers Award for Excellence in Recognition of Contributions to the Development of the Community, awarded by Child’s Dream on 22 May, 2010, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Award of Excellence for Steadfastness and Contribution Towards Upholding Good Representation, by the National Association of Edo State Students at OAU; African Democrat Leadership Merit Award for Outstanding Leader in Africa, by African International Media Organisation, Accra, Ghana, May 2014, among others.

Apart from his training as a lawyer, Dr Samson Osagie has obtained three master’s degrees in Law, Public Administration, and International Relations, he has crowned his academic laurels with a doctoral degree in Political Economy and Development Studies in several universities across Nigeria, including the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He also had training in Leadership, Legislative, and Business Management at Oxford, Harvard, International Law Institute among other Ivy League institutions across the globe. He is a Doctoral Fellow of the Institute of Financial Analyst of Nigeria, a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration, and an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, Nigeria and a member of the Nigerian and African Bar Association. He is happily married with children.

Hon. Samson Osagie

NIGERIA AT 61 – A CALL FOR FOCUS ON INDUSTRIALIZATION – Dr Samson Osagie

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October 1st 2021 marks Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary with a never-ending quest for a direction that gives the citizenry a definite and tangible value for their collective investment in the Nigerian State.
At independence, the country rising from the ashes of colonialism looked forward to a great and prosperous nation, regional leader and a well global player in the international system.
However, government and governance have been most focused on power acquisition and power retention with minimal attention to Industrial and economic development of our nation.
With ravaging poverty, making the world poverty capital, intractable insecurity, making life worthless, religious and ethnic tension, tearing apart National leadership, corruption ravaging every facet of our national life and inflicting a cancerous blow on the fabric of the country and the insensitivity of the political elites to national malaise, etcetera etcetera Nigeria have continued to regressed on all fronts thus leaving the country to fate and chance.

Yet, the story can be reversed. With abundant human, natural and intangible resources a focus on Industrialization by governments at all levels can change the narrative. A radical and surgical move away from primordial and conservative approach to governance have the capacity to leapfrog the nation into harnessing its potential to produce what we need, reduce dependence on imports, retain capital in Nigeria and nigerianize the commanding heights of the economy.
What are we doing with few agricultural crops? What are we doing with our crude oil? What do we do with our various solid minerals- bauxite, limestone, gold, clay, gypsum, iron ore, salt, zinc, lead,
Cassiterite(tin ore), dolomite, tantalite, marble, Magnesite, kaolin, bentonite, oil and gas, uranium, lead, zinc, lignite,Phosphate, glass, sand, lead, lignite. wolfram, columbite, uranium, magnesium, barite, coal, gemstone, to mention just a few of them scattered all over the country? Many of these endowments are either exploited by foreigners with local comprados for Exports as mere raw materials or illegally mined for a few unpatriotic business persons for their personal enrichment.

We can recreate our sense of purpose by realizing that in the words of Dr Caesar Osaheni Iyayi in his new book The ABC of How To Industrialize Nigeria when he said :
” We must take urgent steps to transform Nigeria from an agrarian society to a manufacturing economy. There is no alternative. It is bend or break. If we fail to industrialise, we will never be able to defend ourselves and shall therefore be at the mercy of foreign powers that dealt ruthlessly with our forefathers. If we fail to industrialise, then we are doomed to suffer another wave of slavery or extinction on African soil”. He went further to posit and accurately so that there is no country in the world that was Industrialize(developed) by foreigners.
Consequently, methinks that the October 1st 2021 must therefore become a watershed for our leaders and citizens to move away from the unbridled quest for power acquisition to National Economic development and Industrialization. I like to see more debates on Industrialization models and strategies rather than power rotation. It will be most beneficial to Nigerians to see leaders compete on development indices rather than throwing banters on how to retain power at national and sub national levels. The people want to see which tangible progress rather than manufactured indices which translate to visible impact on their lives. It is the expectation of the people that government encourages more Nigerian private entrepreneurs to embark on industrial ventures by employing expatriates in areas of deficit of technical expertise.

Nigeria needs to Industrialize. Our country needs to move away from the realm of potentialities. Admirably, Mr President appreciate this in his Independence broadcast when he said “I fully understand the anxiety of many Nigerians on the inability of this country to go beyond a never-ending potential for becoming a great nation to an actually great one”

Nigerians, a resilient, hardworking, skilful and dedicated people with a propensity for positive advancement in am enabling environment needs a pragmatic political leadership to lead the way. Unless and until we have such a leadership that breaks away from the culture of unworkable governance model, extraneous matters of ethnicity and religion, unnecessary politicization of service delivery, building industries, infrastructures and workable institutions will continue to be a mirage. Today, we are witnesses to how the pragmatic leadership of the late Lee Kuan Yew and his successors in Singapore moved away the country to a first world. Singapore, with little or no natural resources developed its human resources to attain its current industrial status.

Our survival as a Nation depends on our ability and commitment to Industrialize Nigeria. We cannot wait any longer.
The time is now!

Dr Samson Osagie, is a Lawyer, Governance & Development Expert

EDO STATE IS FIFTH IN OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

EDO STATE IS FIFTH IN OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION QUOTA AMONG NDDC STATES.

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By Engr. Desmond ogbodu

The recent resolution of the House of Representatives on the need for the Federal Government to Constitute the board of the NDDC in line with the Act establishing the commission was partly well intentioned and partly calculated to mislead the National Assembly Particularly the House of Representatives and of course Mr. President and the general Public.

While I concur with the resolution urging the Federal Government to abide by the provision of sections 4 and 12 of the NDDC Act, 2000, I am also of the view that the President did not violate the Act when he constituted the yet to be inaugurated board which was screened and confirmed by the Senate in August, 2019. Therefore, the call for the constitution of the board is mischievous as there is a board already constituted awaiting inauguration

However, assuming, but not conceding that there is a need to reconstitute the board, the consideration of which State among Edo, Ondo and Imo States (as contained in the resolution) will produce the next Managing Director of NDDC cannot be in favour of Ondo State. This is because the facts and figures on ground only shows that Edo State (and not Ondo State) is the 5th highest Oil and Gas Producing State among the NDDC member States.

For the avoidance of doubt and contrary to the impression created by Hon. Kolade Akinjo, a Lawmaker from Ondo State who moved the said motion, figures from the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) from December 2020 to May 2021 shows clearly that Edo State, (the heartbeat of the Nation) produces more Crude oil and gas than Ondo State. Infact, after the big four States of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa, Edo State is next in line in the choice of the Chief Executive of the Commission. The table below shows the chart of oil and gas production quantum between Edo and Ondo States.

 

STATE PERIOD OIL (bbl) GAS (ft3) TOTAL
Edo

 

 

Ondo

 December,2020 1,069,060

 

 

1,004,058

 10,221,008

 

 

3,077,319

 11,290,068

 

 

4,083,377
Edo

 

 

Ondo

 January, 2021 1,125,242

 

 

1,072,018

 10,229,841     

 

 

3,184,309

 11,355,083

 

 

4,256,327
Edo

 

 

Ondo

 February, 2021 1,161,399

 

 

1,040,412

 10,951,993

 

 

2,971,263

 12,113,332

 

 

4,011,675
Edo

 

 

Ondo

 March, 2021 1,201,763

 

 

1,033,504

 11,331,918

 

 

3,162,022

 12,533,681

 

 

4,195,526
Edo

 

 

Ondo

 April, 2021 1,204,559

 

 

1,022,604

 11,358,404

 

 

2,946,715

 12,562,963

 

 

3,969,319
Edo

 

 

Ondo

 May, 2021 1,110,502

 

 

1,008,441

 11,006,668

 

 

3,140,62

 12,117,170

 

 

4,149,063

 

It is therefore important to educate those who do not understand that section 30 of the NDDC Act 2000 defines “OIL” to mean “Oil and Gas”. Therefore, given the primacy of Edo State in gas production over and above many states members of the NDDC, it is unthinkable that Edo State will come after Ondo State in Oil and gas production Quantum for the purpose of considering the leadership of the commission. This is tantamount to turning the truth on its head.

Edo State and Ondo State have had a long history of commonalities and as such it is unacceptable for some representatives to try to manipulate facts and figures to mislead the President and all Stakeholders on matters that are easily verifiable.

Therefore, I urge Edo representatives to file a fresh motion to correct the wrong impression created by the Ondo born Lawmaker in the said motion and subsequent resolution. He clearly misled the House of Representatives and it is unacceptable.

Consequently, we urge Mr. President to take urgent and decisive steps to put the NDDC on the path of progressive change by inaugurating the board he has already appointed and which the Senate has also confirmed

Given the length of time that it has taken to carry out the forensic audit of the commission, Mr. President should not give in to the manipulation of some persons to delay the smooth running of the interventionist agency. This cannot be Mr. Presidents wish and understanding of the state of Affairs of the Commission.

It is now on record, that since the last board was dissolved in 2019, the commission has been under several Management that were put together in violation of the Law establishing the commission with the result that many (if not all) of the member States of the Commission have been shut out of the Management of the Commission. This situation is not only unfair, unlawful but also unacceptable to the Stakeholders.

Edo State deserve its fair treatment as the 5th Member State of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

 

 

Engr. Desmond Ogbodu is a Chemical Engineer and writes from Lagos.

SLAVERY OF MEN BY WOMEN

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SLAVERY OF MEN BY WOMEN

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German writer Esther Villar In her book “The Manipulated Man” that caused outrage and hostile criticism from women explains how women since the earliest times have manipulated men and turned them into their slaves, they have pretended to be the oppressed sex while in the real sense they are the oppressors. She explains how a woman manipulates a man skillfully by steps like courtship and finally marriage, hence the saying “a man chases a woman until SHE catches him”.

In her book she explains how the man is tricked to care for the woman all his life and her offspring. He rolls the stone like Sisyphus and in turn gets rewarded by a few minutes of sexual pleasure. We can, by observing Esther Villars assertions that a man is a slave of his desires and the woman uses and has used it for thousands of years as a stick and carrot to keep the man chasing vanity and commit his life to serving her.

She goes ahead to explain the rivalry of women, how each woman feels the powerful urge and need to own a male for herself. Like a slave owner she detests any move the man would make to offer his services to another woman. She uses all means to keep the man to herself and her offspring alone.

Esther Villar’s sentiments are captured by Nigerian Poet, critic and writer, Chinweizu Ibekwe in his book, “The Anatomy of Female Power”(AFP) and Will Farrel’s, “The Predatory Female. They all push the theory that all societies are matriarchal and not patriarchal as we are pushed and forced to believe. Matriarchy has ruled not through brawn but wits and tricks; women feigning weakness to be protected etc. Thus the male becomes the most exploited sex in human history,(in wars the man is always ready to die for the woman; he has been trained to do that).

Chinweizu calls the idea of dating and courtship, training, like that of a horse. It is during this time that a woman having kept the man on a leash by denying him sex and getting him addicted to her by false charms, trains and breaks him to whatever she wants him to become.

The marriage celebration becomes a celebration for the woman and her friends, and they all congratulate her for having succeeded in getting herself a slave. A man on that wedding day waves goodbye to his independence and his coalition of males and commits himself to a Sisyphean life, rolling the stone, an act he cannot abandon having society and the government checking on him and always ready to jail, shame or exile him for absconding his duties.
Thus the government and society helps the woman in keeping her slave in check.

Chinweizu gives a narration of how women are trained by older matriarchs to tame men. He explains how a man is trained to rely on women by his own mother. A man is shamed for cooking for himself and other domestic chores by his own mother who is an agent of the global matriarchal rule.

By getting the man to hate domestic works and having it enforced by culture which warns men against going into the kitchen, doing laundry etc., the mother trains his son for the woman who will captivate him and when the time comes she takes hold of the man’s stomach and by getting the man addicted to her body she holds him by the two, in bed and in the kitchen. With those two weapons she manipulates the man and turns him into her plaything.

In the “Myth of the Male Power”, Esther Villar’s ” A Man’s Right to the Other Woman”; “The Polygamous Sex”, the authors of those books challenge the narrative that men oppress women, and by detailed research across African, Western and Eastern both in ancient and modern societies, the authors unravel the hidden power of the ruthless matriarchal power that rules the world.

Presidents, Emperors and Kings are all puppets of the matriarchy forces that rule the World by pulling the strings from behind the curtains.

Hon. Samson Osagie

CJN Administer Oath on Hon. Samson Osagie, 64 Others as Notary Public

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………Reiterated his Commitments to the law Profession

By: Ben Ogbemudia

The Chief Judge of the Federation, Justice Tanko Muhammad on Wednesday administered an oath of Notary Public on Rt. Hon Samson Osagie and Sixty Four others Legal Practitioners of varied years of experience.

The oath taking Ceremony was conducted by the Acting Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Hon Justice Salisu Garba who was appointed by the CJN to preside over the event.

Rt Hon Samson Raphael Osagie,
former Minority Whip of the House of Representatives and foremost Legal Practitioner in the Federal Capital Territory, takes Oath of office as Notary Public sequel to his appointment by the Chief Justice of Nigeria Hon Dr Justice I. T. MUHAMMAD on the 28th of September 2020.

Speaking at event which took place at the FCT High Court Ceremony Hall, Maitama, Abuja, Hon Samson Osagie reiterates his commitment to Legal profession as a Lawyer of 26 years standing and promise to uphold the oath of office and the highest standards of the Profession.
He promised to abide by the NOTARY PUBLIC ACT CAP N141, Laws of the Federation 2004 and all other laws that will enable him in that behalf.

Addressing the newly appointed Notaries Public, the Presiding Acting Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court admonished them to refrain from perpetuating any irregularity in the conduct of the business of Notary Public. He also informed them that the Chief Justice of Nigeria will not hesitate to sanction anyone of the inductees for any misconduct in accordance with the law.


The Notary Public Act CAP N141 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria makes provisions for the appointment of Legal Practitioners who have demonstrated competence and uphold professional standards in the legal profession. Such applicants must have paid their professional practicing fees for a consecutive period of seven years prior to the year of such appointment.
The former Lawmaker is the Managing Partner in the Law firm of Samson Ima-Osagie & Associates with offices in Lagos, Benin City and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Invictus Obi: US court sentence Obinwanne Okeke to 10 years in prison

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Invictus Obi: US court sentence Obinwanne Okeke to 10 years in prison

Nigerian Obinawanne Okeke has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for involvement in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme that caused approximately $11 million in known losses to his victims.

“Through subterfuge and impersonation, Obinwanne Okeke engaged in a multi-year global business email and computer hacking scheme that caused a staggering $11 million in losses to his victims,” said Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“Today’s sentence further demonstrates EDVA’s and FBI’s worldwide reach in vigorously pursuing justice on behalf of American victims and others and holding international cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they commit their crimes.”

According to court documents, Obinwanne Okeke, 33, operated a group of companies known as the Invictus Group based in Nigeria and elsewhere.

From approximately 2015 to 2019, Okeke and others engaged in a conspiracy to conduct various computer-based frauds.

The conspirators obtained and compiled the credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia.

As part of the scheme, Okeke and other conspirators engaged in an email compromise scheme targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment.

In April 2018, a Unatrac executive fell prey to a phishing email that allowed conspirators to capture login credentials.

The conspirators sent fraudulent wire transfer requests and attached fake invoices.
Okeke participated in the effort to victimize Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers totaling nearly $11 million, which was transferred overseas.

Additionally, Okeke engaged in other forms of cyberfraud, including sending phishing emails to capture email credentials, creating fraudulent web pages, and causing other losses to numerous victims.

“The FBI will not allow cyber criminals free reign in the digital world to prey on U.S. companies,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office.

“This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to working with our partners at the Department of Justice and our foreign counterparts to locate cyber criminals across the globe and bring them to the United States to be held accountable.”

Raj Parekh, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.

Gumi: Herdsmen learnt kidnapping from Niger Delta militants

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Ahmad Gumi, a prominent Islamic cleric, says herdsmen learnt kidnapping from Niger Delta militants.

He said if the government hold talks with herdsmen, they will assist in flushing out the criminals among them.

Gumi has been advocating amnesty for bandits.

He said the bandits are themselves victims of cattle rustling who took to crime to defend themselves.

Speaking when he featured on Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Tuesday, Gumi said just about 10 percent of Fulani herdsmen are criminals.

The cleric said the bandits learnt kidnapping from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), saying if militants could be granted amnesty, then the same should be applicable to the bandits.

He said if the federal government grants them amnesty, the other 90 percent of the herdsmen will reveal the identity of the criminals among them.

“We didn’t take a different route of trying to solve this problem and that is why we are still here today. And when we say amnesty, we don’t mean that anyone proved to be involved in murder should go free as such,” Gumi said.

“They learnt kidnapping from MEND. I do not see any difference. They were the first victims of rustling. Their cattle is their oil. What we are seeing now is more of an insurgency than banditry. I can say 10 percent of the herders are criminals not 90 percent, in the end, they took up weapons to protect themselves from extinction.

“They themselves can take care of the little remnants of criminals among themselves because they don’t want anybody to bring mayhem to them.”

Effiong Akwa, NDDC boss, under our investigation, says CCB Commissioner, Hon. E. J. Agbonayinma

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By Ben Ogbemudia

The Code of Conduct Bureau on Monday said that the Bureau can not be intimidated into not doing its constitutional duties as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution, no matter how highly placed the person is.

The Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged N100 million Naira bribery by the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State , Senator Godswill Akpabio to officials of the CCB to assist Akwa Effiong (Sole Administrator, NDDC) fill and backdate his Assets declaration forms from 2012 till date, Hon. Johnson Agbonayinma said both the Minister for Niger/Delta and Effiong Akwa wrote to the Bureau asking for another day to appear before it.

“Yes, Godswill Akpabio wrote to us that he is a bit indisposed and seeks for an extension of the date of which we have granted; for Effiong Akwa , there was clash of date. The National Assembly Committee on Niger/Delta are currently with him in Port Harcourt for oversight function. He also wrote to us to explain change of date. so, all things being equal, we will get to the root of the matter.”

The Chairman Code of Conduct Bureau, Professor Mohammed Isah had earlier inaugurated an investigation panel where he stated that the exercise is in tandem with President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy on fighting corruption as well as promoting transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

The objective of the Assets Verification Committee is to thoroughly scrutinize the completed assets declaration forms of public officers to ensure accuracy.

” If anybody feels we are playing , they should remember Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen’s case with us at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over his Asset declaration infractions which are illegal under Nigeria’s code of conduct law. So, Allegation of Bribery Against CCB Officials for Backdating of Assets Declaration Forms of Akwa Effiong must be investigated seriously.

“On the 5th day of February, 2021, the attention of the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) was drawn to the series of tweets on the Twitter handle of one Jackson Ude and an Online newspaper publication by pointblanknews.com to the effect that Mr. Godswill Akpabio (Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs) allegedly paid the sum of N100 million Naira to officials of the CCB to assist Akwa Effiong (Sole Administrator, NDDC) fill and backdate his Assets declaration forms from 2012 till date.

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Group urges President Buhari to save Nddc from illegality

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A socio-cultural group, Niger Delta Development Initiative (NDDI) has mounted pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to institute a legally recognized Board and Management ― 16-months after members of the Board were appointed by him and cleared by the Nigeria Senate.

President and Secretary of the group, Chief Ebikalome Tonye Anselm and Comrade Johnson Oghenekevbe in a petition title: “The need to stop the manipulation of the Management of NDDC against the Law” on Friday, also demanded for the sack of Sen. Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta Affairs, accusing him of hijacking the functions of Commission in violation of the spirit and letters of the enabling Law that set up NDDC ACT 2007.

The Niger Delta Stakeholders who described the development as sickening, accused the Minister of manipulating the Commission from been led by an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to a Sole Administratorship with his political protégé as beneficiary in contravention of Section 2 of the NDDC (Establishment etc) Act of 2007, which defines the functions and composition of membership of the Governing Board of the Commission among the nine oil producing States and the representatives of relevant Ministries.

The group, expressed worry over the setback the absence of NDDC Board has cost Nigeria people who have not enjoyed stability in its operations after a short stay of Ibim Seminatari to Egba/Obong Nsuma Ekere-led Board of NDDC till the ascension of Senator Akpabio as a result of the manipulation of the Commission was meant to serve without a Governing Board.

“Mr. President, we agree that there is a fundamental basis for probing into activities of the Commission, but we are worried that such exercise cannot obliterate the legal foundation upon which the Commission is founded.

“For the avoidance of doubt, your Excellency, we are of the firm view that over the NDDC are nothing short of an assault not only on established legal framework Governing the Management of the Commission, but an assault on the sensibility of the people of Niger Delta and nine member States of the Commission. This has continued despite the cacophony of voices that have risen against the decapitation of the Commission by the Ministry”, the group lamented.

While urging President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow himself to be goaded into sustaining illegalities in one the interventionist agencies in which huge appropriations are been made annually, urged him to shun distractions and “institute a legally recognized Board and Management which he had appointed in August 2019.

It further expressed sadness over the manner in which the Management of NDDC is being “manipulated to the extent that even court orders are now been manufactured to pave way for the lackey of the Minister to assume the sole leadership of the Commission” ― despite the litany of allegations of corrupt practices which have been made by several persons and groups across a broad spectrum against the spirit and letters of the enabling Law that set up the Commission”.

The petition further accuse the Minister of wrongly advising President Muhammadu Buhari against the inauguration whose main objective is to join other compatriots to advance the cause of development of the Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general.

It recalled how a Federal High court sitting in Abuja on the 20th day of January 2021, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/617/2020 Between the Incorporated Trustees of Forum for Accountability and Good Governance made a very startling revelation that it never granted any interim injunction to the Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC”, which had been dissolved by the President before its supposed lifespan in December 2020 and thereafter directed the most Senior Director should assume in capacity of a Sole Administrator based on the vacuum that was created in the development as it was widely reported on December 12, 2020, amidst protests and litigations by the various interest groups and Stakeholders in the polity on account of gross and further violation of the NDDC Act.

Failed Nddc Job, Odubu Demands Money From Senate President

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My attention has been drawn to an online publication thenewspanorama of 2nd June, 2020 wherein I was said to have demanded money from His Excellency, The Senate President and criticized the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Comrade Adams Oshiomhole over my appointment as NDDC Board Chairman Designate
I want to state categorically that the said online news is a figment of the imagination of the writers and not scintilla of truth is contained therein. Rather it is and will remain a malicious publication orchestrated by political foes who are bent on painting me in bad light before these eminent National Leaders of our party and government.
For the avoidance of doubt, when I was appointed Chairman designate of the NDDC board along with other members of the board in August 2019 up until we were Screened and confirmed by the Senate and even until now I never met the Senate President nor gave any money to anyone to facilitate our Screening and confirmation.
I have the greatest respect for the Senate President who I have been privilege to serve with in the House of Representatives and cannot do anything that will bring his person and office into disrepute.
In the same vein , I wish to State unequivocally that the National Chairman of APC and my boss Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has my greatest loyalty and regards. I have never and will not have any reason whatsoever to give him any money to facilitate appointment or my confirmation in the Senate. I was his Deputy from 2008 to 2016 and I thank God for the privilege I had to work with him. I will therefore have no reason to disparage him or his person. His role in my appointment as Chairman Designate NDDC was purely based on his belief in my person and his commitment to the development of the Niger Delta.
I must place on record the invaluable position and role of the Deputy Senate President Senate Ovie Omo Agege in the process of appointment, screening and confirmation of the NDDC Board in 2019. At no time did I or any member of the board offered or gave any money to him to facilitate our screening and confirmation.
Let me state that those who are seeking to get appointed into NDDC board should embark on the process with the fear of God and refrain from attempting to pull others down in furtherance of their inordinate ambitions.
All through my years of service I have been driven by the strong desire to contribute maximally to the development of my country and by extension the Niger Delta region. This has been more reinforced by Mr President’s commitment to the change in the narratives of the Niger Delta.
I therefore wish to thank Mr President in whose Presidential Campaign Council in 2019, I was Director of Logistics for considering myself and other members that was appointed by him into NDDC Board in 2019.
I remain a committed and loyal member of the All Progressives Congress and I wish to extend my sincere apologies to the Distinguished Senate President, Distinguished Deputy Senate President and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress for the embarrassment this false publication may have caused them.
In the meantime I have instructed my Solicitors to write to the Publishers of thenewspanorama to retract the said publication and tender unreserved apologies to these leaders and myself for this offensive publication or face Legal consequences.

H. E, Dr Pius E.Odubu, MHR
Former Deputy Governor
Edo State.