The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has dismissed a recent publication by Sahara Reporters alleging delays in project execution and misuse of funds by the Commission.
In a statement signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama, on Friday, the Commission described the report as “false, misleading, and malicious,” insisting that it was aimed at tarnishing the image of the agency and its leadership.
The online platform had claimed that the NDDC spent ₦5 billion to finance the 50th birthday celebration of its Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and that projects across the region were stalled due to the non-release of the Commission’s forensic audit report by the Federal Government.
The NDDC, however, refuted the allegations, stressing that Ogbuku’s birthday activities were privately sponsored by his family, friends, and associates, with the main highlight being the launch of two books in Abuja.
On project execution, the Commission emphasized that it has continued to deliver on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta, listing a series of completed and ongoing projects across several states.
Among the projects recently inaugurated are the 9.6-kilometre Abraka-Oben Road in Delta State, the 7.3-kilometre Oyigbo Road network in Rivers State, the 23.7-kilometre Ndoro-Ntalakwu Road in Abia State, the Eziama-Abba-Owerre Nkworji Road in Imo State, and multiple road networks in Cross River and Bayelsa States. The Commission also commissioned new state office complexes and training centres, while continuing work on major projects such as the Kaa-Ataba Bridge in Rivers State, the Bonny Ring Road, and regional specialist hospitals in Cross River and Port Harcourt.
“The allegations are not only false but also a deliberate attempt to distract from the Commission’s visible developmental strides,” the statement read. “We urge the public to disregard the malicious publication and focus on the Commission’s numerous achievements that are positively impacting the Niger Delta region.”
The NDDC reiterated its commitment to fulfilling its mandate of driving sustainable development in Nigeria’s oil-producing communities.
