Onochie’s Alarm Over Shady MOU Shows Transparency

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Prince John Mayaki, has described a recent disclaimer from Lauretta Onochie, chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board over the non-involvement of the commission in a purported memorandum of understanding with a foreign firm for a rail project as indicative of her commitment to turning around the NDDC with effective, transparent leadership.

Onochie, via a recent statement, alerted the public to the dubious nature of an advertised agreement between the NDDC and a US firm, Atlanta Global Resources Inc. for the purported construction of a mega rail project across the Niger Delta, from Lagos to Calabar valued at $15bn.

She clarified that the agreement was done without the authorisation or consent of the NDDC board in violation of its operational rules. She also claimed that the project in question had already been awarded by the Federal Executive Council back in 2021 and could thus not be re-awarded by an entity unknown to the leadership of the NDDC.

Reacting to the statement, Mayaki praised Lauretta Onochie for alerting the public on the anomaly, adding that her transparent account of the event underscored her commitment to the pledge to reform and transform the commission, marking a departure from a dark history of unexplained expenses and corruption.

He said, “Ms. Lauretta Onochie has, by the unprecedented action, emphasised her fitness for the role and even more importantly, her serious commitment to clean the Augean stables through the elimination of this kind of opaque and unsanctioned deals that end up costing the country so much money but deliver little in the way of development.

“Her public disclaimer has undoubtedly foiled the plans of those seeking to execute this suspicious deal and set a standard at the commission on how the leadership ought to manage such situations to reclaim and retain public trust, especially the Niger Delta people who have watched with dissatisfaction over the years as the expense account of the NDCC continues to grow with not much to show for it on the ground.”

Mayaki said that her action would help reassure the Niger Delta people that the NDDC, under her watch, is resolutely focused on meeting its founding objectives, which summarily is ensuring that the region receives the level of developmental investments it requires to compensate for its status as the resource base of the nation and the consequential environmental impacts.