NDDC Scholarships: Omare Lambasts IMC For Flouting Buhari’s Order

The immediate past President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Barr Eric Omare has reproved the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for their refusal to obey an express order by President Muhammadu Buhari to pay schools fees of the commission’s scholarship students abroad.

Omare stated that the refusal of the Prof. Keme Pondei-led IMC to obey the Presidential directive was a demonstration of the level of impunity in the management of the NDDC.

He called on the presidency to take pick an interest in some of the happenings in the Niger Delta Region.

Omare said: “The deliberate refusal by the leadership of the NDDC Interim Management committee to pay the foreign NDDC scholars in violation of the presidential directive is another demonstration of the level of impunity in the management of the NDDC.

“However, the bigger picture is the lack of control over the activities of the NDDC by the supervising ministry. This further confirms the deplorable state of affairs in the NDDC which are all orchestrated by Senator Akpabio with the tacit support of the powers that be in Aso Rock.

“How on earth can the President give order for scholars stranded in foreign land to be paid their entitlement but the order is disobeyed with impunity without any repercussion.

“However, same agency is busy paying billions of naira to themselves without delay and despite the absence of an Executive Director for Finance and Administration which reason they gave for not paying the NDDC scholars.

“My call is on President Buhari to pick personal interest on some of the things happening in the Niger Delta region. Obviously the present level of impunity is happening because as he said those he entrusted with the management of affairs relating to the region has betrayed the trust and are still betraying it and this must stop.”

President5 Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the IMC to pay up all pending scholarship fees following an outcry by stranded students abroad who are beneficiaries of the agency’s scholarships.