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Accuses NDDC management of turning agency into “ATM for a few”
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Alleges abandoned projects, fake programmes, and selective empowerment in Niger Delta
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Warns Tinubu’s 2027 re-election may suffer over Ogbuku’s handling of Commission
The apex Ijaw media council, the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF), has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to launch an immediate probe into the activities of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and the entire board.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala, and made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State, on Monday, the IPF accused the Ogbuku-led NDDC of financial recklessness and running the commission like a personal cash machine.
“The NDDC under Ogbuku has been reduced to an ATM for a few individuals while the region remains littered with abandoned projects and substandard programmes,” the statement alleged.
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The group cited programmes such as Project Hope, the NDDC Youth Internship Scheme, and the Niger Delta Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Trade, Mines, and Agriculture (NDCCITMA) as fraudulent, calling for a full-scale investigation.
“These programmes are not impactful but are mere channels to siphon money from the Commission’s treasury,” Kagbala said.
The forum further alleged that despite trillions of naira accrued to the Commission, communities across the Niger Delta still lack rural electricity, potable water, good roads, bridges, and functional healthcare facilities.
“There is no riverine community connected to the national grid. Instead, Ogbuku is busy installing low-cost solar street lights that add no value to our people,” the IPF stated.
The IPF accused Ogbuku of prioritising his Bayelsa State governorship ambition over development in the Niger Delta.
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It also alleged that empowerment programmes were selectively targeted at individuals loyal to him, political allies, girlfriends, and his Ayakoro community.
“Ogbuku is not working to secure President Tinubu’s support base in the Niger Delta. He is only working to advance his selfish political interest,” the group said.
The forum warned that if the situation persists, President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid could face “a terrible setback”, noting growing anger among
