Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has called on the
leadership of the National Assembly to withhold the 2020 budget of the
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) it passed on Monday to a Sole
Administrator recently appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Frank in separate letters to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said
releasing the 2020 budget of the agency to an entity unknown to the
NDDC’s law would amount to supporting illegality.
Writing through his lawyer, Edward Omaga, Esq., who is a Principal
Partner at Graylaw Solicitors, Frank argued that on no account should
the 9th National Assembly under the watch of Lawan and Gbajabiamila “be
used to sanction the illegality committed by the President of Nigeria,
which is clearly not in the interest of the Niger Delta people.”
The letter titled:
“Protest
against the spending of N453.2billlion being approved 2020 budget for
the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by Effiong Okon Akwa, as
Sole Administrator” reads in part:
“We submit on behalf of our client that the decision by Mr. President
to appoint Effiong Okon Akwa as Sole Administrator to ‘oversee the
ongoing forensic audit of the Commission to its completion’ is alien,
illegal, void and seriously offends the fine provisions of Sections 2, 3
and 4 of the NDDC (Establishment) Act, 2000.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that NDDC is a creation of law and
cannot be operated based on the whims and caprices of President
Muhammadu Buhari or any other person for that matter.
“That previous administrations allowed certain persons to act as Sole
Administrators at different times while awaiting the confirmation of a
Board does not make the process legal in any manner whatsoever.
“What had happened in the past is simply a bad precedence set out of
ignorance or negligence of the law and must not be allowed to continue.
After all, illegality twenty years ago remains illegality today and forever.”
Frank said that failure to heed his warning by the leadership of the
National Assembly would leave him with no other option than to contest
their action in a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Our client
strongly believes that the illegal appointment of Effiong Okon Akwa as
Sole Administrator of NDDC must fail when tested before a court of
competent jurisdiction in the coming days.
“We therefore demand that your good offices should not for any reason authorize the spending of the approved N453.2 billion
being 2020 Budget for NDDC or any part thereof by Effiong Okon Akwa for purposes of running the affairs of the Commission.
“Take notice that our client shall be seeking redress in court
against your office in the unlikely event that his demand herein is not
adhered to or treated with levity.
“Whilst exercising the option of litigation, our client will neither
have recourse to your office nor take into consideration the damage that
may be caused by his action. We do hope that wise counsel will
prevail!” the letter added.
