Niger Delta
Clark describes inclusion of Abia, Imo, Ondo in NDDC as a political aberration

***Tells Tinubu to re-enact a new bill to exclude the three states from NDDC act
An Ijaw leader and politician from Delta State, Edwin Clark, has indicated that the inclusion of the States of Abia, Imo and Ondo in the 2000 Niger Delta Development (NDDC) Act was an aberration that must be corrected without further delay.
He therefore called for an ammendment to the NDDC act 2000 for total exclusion of the three non-Niger Delta states from the commission
The former national commissioner therefore urged President Bola Tinubu to re-enact a new bill for the Oil producing states of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Akwa Ibom.
Clark spoke on Tuesday in an address to the media titled Request to President Bola Ahmad Tinubu amend Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) law to remove Non-Niger Delta oil producing States of Abia, Imo and Ondo fron the NDDC act 2000
His grouse is that the three minority oil producing states are now agitating for equal distribution of appointment and infrastructural development to the extent that there are more staff from the three non Niger Delta state combined currently by the commission
“I have taken it as my obligation to inform the Government and people of Nigeria the real situation leading to the establishment of NDDC; but regrettably and sorrowfully today, I am the oldest stakeholder of the (NDDC) in the entire Niger Delta under our group the South-South Peoples Conference (SSOPEC).
He quoted an extract from the communiqué of one of the earliest meeting of their organisation, SSOPEC held at Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Warri Delta State which was ably attended by prominent personalities and Governors on 9th October 1999.;
“The meeting which was held to hear the report of the 13 man SSOPEC Delegation to Abuja in August to meet with the then Mr President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and members of the National Assembly concerning amendments to the presidential Bill on the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC); and to propose further amendments necessary to protect the interest of the Niger Delta people was presided over by the SSOPEC Chairman, HRM Pere (Dr) H.J.R. Dappa-Biriye and supported by the Deputy Chairman of SSOPEC, Chief E.K Clark.
“The meeting also registered the attendance of His Excellency Obong Victor Attah, the then Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Government Representatives of the South-South States, Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, Opinion Leaders, women groups, youth and Non-Governmental Organisation”.
Explaining further how the NDDC Bill included Imo State and Abia State from the South-East and Ondo State from South-West Nigeria, he said,
“We fully participated when President Obasanjo the initiator of the Bill invited us; HRM (Dr) H.J.R. Dappa-Biriye (OON,JP), my humble self and Sen. Fred Brume as leaders and we went with some other leaders of the South-South Peoples Conference for dinner at Aso Rock, on the 22nd August 2000, and during that interaction with Mr President, we went through the drafted Bill of NDDC which he said he will later submit to the Attorney General of the Federation for necessary action.
According to him, ex-president Obasanjo had informed them that Northerners were opposed to the establishment of NDDC, instead they also demanded Shiroro Dam Commission.
“President Obasanjo advised that we should accept the three Non-Niger Delta Oil producing States of Abia, Imo and Ondo State in order to have their added votes of the South-East and South-West Legislators for the Bill to succeed.
“I also asked him if there is oil in Sokoto and that will Sokoto be part of the Niger Delta? And we moved on”.
“Thereafter, we met the Representatives of the three (3) States at the National Assembly and they were very happy. We discussed the strategy that will contribute to the passing of the NDDC Bill and we did the lobbying together.
“Some vicious and unpatriotic Nigerians saw the establishment of the NDDC as a denial or deprivation of the Nigerians from enjoying the wealth that accrues from the oil resources from the Niger Delta.
“It is noted that during the National Conference of 2014, we recommended the setting up of the North East Development Commission to rebuild the war devastated areas of North-East as it was done in Germany and the rest of Europe called the Marshall Plan after the second world war of 1939-1945.
“After the agreement with the members of the National Assembly from the three (3) Southern States, the joint committee went round to lobby National Assembly Members including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate and Chairman of Appropriation Committee when President Obasanjo refused to sign his own Executive Bill which he presented to the National Assembly.
“The National Assembly used their constitutional power and after thirty (30) days, they signed the Bill into law.’
According to him the NDDC Establishment Act 2000 signed by the then Senate President Chuba Okadigbo outlined the functions of the Nine States and who should be the Executive Management.
“One should bear in mind that the addition of Ondo, Imo and Abia was a political aberration. However, Cross Rivers State was in the NDDC Act, then Bakassi was removed to Cameroon and Littoral Oil dispensation removed Wells in the High Seas.
“The final blow came with Akwa-Ibom State winning the ownership of the Oil wells on the Land in the Supreme Court. This has resulted in Cross Rivers being a zero contributor to the NDDC. I will like to refer to the relevant sections of the Act in my write up; Part I Section 4 of the NDDC Act states ‘The office of the Chairman shall rotate amongst the member states of the Commission in the following alphabetical order; Abia State, Akwa-Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Cross-River State, Delta State, Edo State, Imo State, Ondo State and Rivers State’
“Part II Section 7 Sub-Section 2 ‘in exercising its functions and powers under this section, the Commission shall have regard to the varied and specific contributions of each member state of the commission’.
“Part IV Section 12 Sub-Section 1 ‘there shall be for the commission, a managing director, and the Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with the member states of the Commission with the highest production quantum of oil and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production’.
“It is true that the law provided for the rotation of the Executive positions among the states based on the quantity of production but did not mention the sequence of rotation among the states. “But the federal government decided that these Executive positions only rotate among the four majorities of oil producing states i.e. Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States based on equity, fair-play and justice because it will be unreasonable and chaotic to extend it to the minority oil producing states including Abia, Cross-River, Edo, Imo and Ondo.
“For instance, whereby, Imo is producing 1.02% of the total oil production by the nine states.”
Xplaining further he said under the rotation, the Chairmanship in accordance with the Act started with Abia State where Chief Onyema Ogochukwu became the pioneer chairman.
“Thereafter, he was replaced by a representative from Akwa-Ibom State in person of Amb. Sam Edem. Bayelsa State took over from Akwa-Ibom State when Air Commodore Larry Koiyan was appointed. “Cross-River took over after Bayelsa State and Sen. Bassey Ewa Henshaw was appointed and he did not finish his term when he was removed by the succeeding Federal Government and was replaced by Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba.
“After Cross River state, it will now the turn of Delta state, but what happened? Adams Oshiomhole recommended Pius Odubu, his former Deputy Governor when it was not yet the turn of Edo state to produce the Commission’s Chairman against the law established the Commission.
Explaining further he said,later there were accusations and counter-accusations between the Interim Management Committee and the National Assembly where some of them were callously insulted that we the leaders of the Niger Delta looted NDDC treasury by award of contracts which were paid for, and never completed.
“We the leaders and stakeholders of NDDC vowed at the time that we will no longer allow the corruption and the mess that characterized the Commission.
“The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) under my leadership set up a committee to secretly and discreetly investigate the happenings in the NDDC.
“Incidentally, the NDDC now reports to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs instead of the Presidency via the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, but the transfer of the NDDC to the Ministry of Niger Delta has not been legalized.
He accused the politicians from the Niger Delta including Sen. Adams Oshiomhole, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi and Chief Timipre Sylva of Appropriation of the Board positions amongst themselves.
He said however, that later the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs now Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio intervened and set up an interim committee and another set of illegal sole administrators, who held that position alone and single handedly operated the budget of the Commission amounting to billions of Naira for a period of about two years.
“Again, a new board was put up by the same politicians, appointing the Managing Director from Bayelsa State and the Executive Director for Finance from Edo State, Maj. Gen Charles Arhiavbere and Executive Director for Project from Owo in Ondo State in the person of Charles Ogunmola and Chairmanship now reverted to Delta State with the appointment of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and also created a position of Executive Director for Cooperate Services even though not provided for in the NDDC Act and appointed Ifedayo Adegunde from Ondo State.
“The President Tinubu’s Government at last decided to correct the position and a new Board has now been set up in accordance with the NDDC Act.
“I repeat, by convention and understanding, the Federal Government has conveniently restricted the management position to the four (4) major oil producing states i.e. Delta State, Akwa-Ibom State, Bayelsa State and Rivers State.
“The crisis has not died down because these three (3) non-Niger Delta States of Abia, Imo and Ondo are insisting that they must occupy the post of Managing Director and the two (2) Executive Director for finance and Executive Director for Project.
His grouse is that Imo State oil producing community in a publication in a national daily had asked a court to stop the inauguration of Board members.
Niger Delta
APC fumes as Court bars pro-Wike lawmakers from sitting

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has expressed displeasure with the court order restraining the pro-Wike lawmakers from further sitting.
Following the battle for supremacy between Wike and Fubara, the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the opposition All Progressives Congress(APC)
However the PDP, on whose platform they were elected, swifty approached the court, seeking an order declaring their seats vacant.
The Rivers State government, however, welcomed the development.
The Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joseph Johnson, said, “The law has spoken, and once the law speaks, rascality must cease.”
But the Publicity Secretary of the Rivers APC, Chibuke Ikenga, alleged judicial compromise and executive interference.
The injunction, which restrains the 25 lawmakers from holding legislative activities, followed a similar ex parte order on May 10.
In the latest ruling, Justice Wali restrained the 25 pro-Wike lawmakers “from parading and holding out themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and/or meeting/sitting at the auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or at any other place whatsoever to purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
The judge also restrained Fubara and the Rivers State Attorney General, who were joined in the suit as the 26th and 28th defendants, respectively, “from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or however interacting with the first to 25th defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant with effect from December 13, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
Its Publicity Secretary, Ikenga, said the party was not surprised, alleging that the executive was procuring pronouncements outside the law.
He said, “We do know that there is an integrity question on Justice C. N. Wali. We are not unaware that they have all been compromised, particularly himself and a few others.
“They are pandering to the whims and caprices of the executive who today is their paymaster represented by the governor. So, it is expected that they will continue on that trajectory by taking decisions outside the provisions of the law.
“They are doing so for pecuniary reasons and we understand that. They have descended into the arena of politics, which is disturbing. They have nosedived integrity, they have compromised their positions of authority and behaving in an unholy manner,” he said.
Asked if he would advise the Amaewhule-led lawmakers to appeal the ruling, he said there was already a subsisting judgment by a Federal High Court.
Niger Delta
Clark tackles Ganduje, Damagum for colluding with Wike to sabotage Rivers people

Elderstatesman and the leader of the Ijaw nation Edwin Clark has accused the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Umar Ganduje and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amb. Umar Damagum of colluding with Former Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike to sabotage the elected Government and Governor or Rivers State, Sir, Siminalayi Fubara
In an open letter to the duo he urged the other executive members to order.
“As a patriotic old statesman, I strongly believe that I should address this letter to you to call to order FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike, because he is dancing naked in the open market in the politics of madness in Rivers State with one leg each in the two parties.
“I know both of you are fully aware and involved in the political crisis in Rivers State which is caused by Wike who is controlling the two parties in Rivers State particularly the PDP.
He advised both chairmen to withdraw from the madness of politics of Rivers State to avoid the dangerous crisis facing Rivers State, one of the most important states producing the resources used to sustain the economy of this country.
“I hope you do not forget that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and the deep seaport of Onne are very well established in Rivers State.
“How can the Federal Government and the two main political parties allow an individual to disrupt and cause confusion, harassment of the democratically elected Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara on the guise that he alone and not the people of Rivers State made Fubara Governor, in his provocative and inciting statement?
According to him, the support given to Nyesom Wike by both party Chairmen has made him courageous enough to intimidate and anger the Rivers State Governor and Government and this is seen as an act to overthrown the duly elected Governor, which is criminal.
Finally, I am therefore appealing to you, in the interest of peace and stability in Nigeria to disassociate yourselves from the diabolical and mischievous plan by Wike for no just cause to bring down the Government of his successor, Governor Fubara.
“I strongly advice both of you to retrace your steps and take charge of your political parties in Rivers State and not leaving it for Wike who is neither PDP nor APC.”
“Nyesom Wike aggressively boasted that nobody can remove the member representing Ogu-Bolo Constituency. Therefore one is tempted what this dangerous, diabolical and mischievous politician can do to breach the constitution and cause a breakdown in law and order in the country.
“He is not in a position to amen section 109 (1g) of the constitution and he is not in a position to undermine the Supreme Court judgement which has now been firmly accepted as precedent, which binds all Courts in Nigeria.
“Listening to Wike who is a self imposed leader of the party PDP and the champion of madness in Rivers Politics is also controlling the ruling party APC by appointing a caretaker committee under the former Chief of Staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, while he is not the legitimate chairman of APC in Rivers State.
“The legitimate Chairman Emeka Beke was suspended and was replaced with Chief Tony Okocha, because of his close relationship with the Leader of APC in the state, in person of Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi. “Chief Tonye Cole, the APC gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State also belongs to the elected executives. “Nyesom Wike, in order to impress the Presidency and APC in Abuja, decided to create the Chief Tony Okocha led caretaker committee with which he now deals with the APC in Rivers State with the approval of the National Chairman of APC.
“One maybe tempted to ask the National Chairman of APC why he chose to deal with a caretaker committee of APC which the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike had earlier presented the committee to him in the APC secretariat in Abuja before constituting it as a caretaker committee.
“But curiously, you now deal with a caretaker committee instead of the elected Chairman. I hope you are aware of the court action filed against you and APC by the elected Chairman of APC in Rivers State, Emeka Beke.
“The old APC members by law are the APC leaders because they were never removed before the illegal caretaker committee was imposed on Rivers State, who are loyalist to Wike.
“The legally constituted executives are in court, challenging the imposition of the caretaker committee on Rivers State chapter of the APC by the NWC.
“By his statements, he made it very clear that he is at work in Rivers State to intimidate, harass, disorganise the state in order to replace Governor Fubara with the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Martins Amaewhule, through impeachment. In his usual contradiction, he stated at a new year banquet on Sunday 7th January 2024, in his massive building standing tall in a large expanse of land, that this trouble between him and the elected Governor started when the Governor and others planned to remove Hon Amewhule as speaker of Rivers State house of Assembly and Wike reacted that you can’t do that to an Obiakpo son. “Meanwhile, he had held meetings with his loyal 27 members of the House to impeach the newly elected Governor of Rivers State. The House met at an ungodly hour at 7am and 23 members signed the notice of impeachment against the Governor and as part of the arrangement, the 27 members again met at the same venue on 11th December 2023 and defected en mass to APC, singing APC songs and waving APC flags and both of you were part of this wicked arrangement made by Wike.
“Indeed, that was the day the almighty Wike wanted to install an APC Government in Rivers State to show President Bola Tinubu how influential he was in Rivers State.”
Niger Delta
Fubara moves to probe Wike’s adminiatration

Governor Sim Fubara of River State is not resting as he has announced his next move to probe the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike
The Governor made the dusclosure while swearing in Hon Dagogo Iboroma as the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice.
The Governor charged the newly sworn-in Commissioner to be prepared for what was ahead, as he would be overseeing the setting up of a panel of enquiry to probe the activities of Government within the last 8 years in the State.
The governor lamented the grand-scale sabotage against his administration, saying that the state was in a critical situation.
He said it had become obvious that the political crisis could no longer be resolved
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