By Dr. Albert O. Temisanren
A recent publication of an online news platform, Pointblanknews.com alleged that the immediate past Executive Director, Projects of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Engr Dr Samuel Adjogbe reportedly awarded nonexistent contracts to political leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, from the South South geopolitical zone.
This publication is nothing but a malicious attempt to derobe a man who has demystified the office of the Executive Director of Projects with his humane approach to deliver on the mandate of his office while he held sway.
That publication, no doubt, brutally assaulted the sensibilities of the public, no thanks to some persons who were obviously acting the scripts of their paymasters to attack the towering image of Dr. Samuel Adjogbe. Those behind this evil deed are undoubtedly those who could not influence Dr. Adjogbe into awarding vague contracts to massage their financial and political egos. The forthright Dr. Adjogbe all through refused to tow the lines of the shortsighted political jobbers. In fact, he only did the needful by not signing away the common rights of the people of the Niger Delta Region.
This is because he knew that posterity would not forgive any act that would mortgage the future of the people of the region, and rubbish the good intentions of President Muhammadu Buhari and his anti-corruption crusade, as well as thwart efforts aimed at repositioning the region, in line with the Next Level Agenda of the Buhari Administration.
The mindless reduction of the personality of Dr. Adjogbe by these faceless people is capable of senselessly putting out the flame and killing the passion in well-meaning Nigerians to render selfless services, and to willingly join the present regime in addressing the gross infrastructural deficiencies and environmental disaster that are now synonymous with the Niger Delta Region. The authors of the false allegation of contract splitting are very far from the truth as there are laid down procedures for contract awards in all public institutions, more so the NDDC.
Adjogbe as an Executive Director of Projects NDDC, could not have awarded jobs single-handedly owing to the extant provisions of the NDDC Act in Section 8 subsections a, b and c which state as follows:
The Board shall have power to
(a) manage and supervise affairs of the Commission;
(b) make rules and regulations for carrying out the functions of the Commission
(c) enter into such contracts as may be necessary or expedient for the discharge of its functions and ensure the efficient performance of the functions of the Commission.
From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that the Managing Director of NDDC cannot unilaterally award a contract without due process and diligence let alone the Executive Director, Projects. It is on record that Dr. Adjogbe was not and had not been invited by the EFCC for questioning on account of this cooked-up lie.
Meanwhile, it is common knowledge that the EFCC was established by an Act of the National Assembly to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes in Nigeria as well as interface with similar international bodies to curb financial recklessness in whatever dimensions. It is only naturally proper for the EFCC to invite anybody based on petitions by identifiable petitioners backed by concrete evidences and not due to claims of imaginary or perceived financial infractions.
Therefore, this particular publication is nothing but political witch-hunting and an attempt to tarnish the good image of Dr. Adjogbe in the minds of unsuspecting members of the public, who hold him in very high esteem. He brought his wealth of experience to bear on the exalted office which he held in trust for the people and he will be vindicated by the legacies he created and entrenched while in office.
Nigerians and indeed the people of the Niger Delta Region must stand up to protest the continuing grand design by those behind the character assassination on Adjogbe, a man who braved the odds to rescue the oil rich Niger Delta Region from political and economic predators.
Signed:
Dr. Albert O. Temisanren
Port Harcourt
Rivers State
