The President of the Niger Delta Development Commission Contractors Association, Comrade Cred Tonye, has dismissed as wicked and baseless allegations of fraud and mismanagement levelled by a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Chief Michael Johnny against the NDDC leadership and contractors.
Chief Johnny had advised the Federal Government to initiate a new forensic audit of the NDDC to include the tenure of Dr. Sam Ogbuku while it withholds approval for the commission’s N1.5 trillion budget until completion of the anticipated audit exercise.
The politician said the audit exercise would throw up a lot of information on how the commission was mismanaged by the current board.
But reacting to the allegation, President of the Niger Delta Development Commission Contractors Association, Comrade Cred Tonye, said it is not only laughable but also akward for an individual of Johnny stature to launch such an attack against the integrity of a progressive NDDC board without any shred of evidence.
Tonye also wondered why Johnny would advise government to stop relating with the lawful board of the NDDC until the outcome of an audit exercise which is non-existent.
He urged the anti-graft agencies in the country to ignore the amorphous claims by the high chief, citing the current leadership’s commitment to transparency.
Comrade Tonye who dismissed dismissed Johnny’s counsel as preposterous challenged to provide concrete evidence to support his allegations.
He however advised the high chief to embrace cooperation in achieving the NDDC’s mandate to develop the Niger Delta region.
“The President of the Contractors Association of NDDC, Comrade Tonye notes that the current leadership has demonstrated and always prompted transparency in all their dealings, to enable President Bola Tinubu administration in delivering democratic dividends to the South South Region.
“However, it is disappointing to see High Chief Michael Johnny, who should be collaborating with the new NDDC led administration to improve the region, instead of engaging in unnecessary conflicts.
“The region’s developmental challenges persist due to internal conflicts with same attitude of high chief Michael Jonny in hindering the commission’s core mandate to develop the Niger Delta region,” the statement said.
Comrade Tonye, maintained that as the president of the contractors Association of Niger Delta Development Commission, he will do everything humanly and legally possible to support Dr. Samuel Ugbuku-led NDDC administration to succeed in delivering dividends of democracy to the people of region .”
Tonye also appealed to the youth in the region to key into the ongoing NDDC youth internship scheme registration initiated by Dr Samuel Ogbuku led administration to engage all youth in the Niger Delta region
