Political Greed Is What Has Halted The Distribution Of NDDC Palliatives In CRS - Tonia Essien
By Missang AKPET
Following the impasse between the Cross River State NDDC Commissioner Rt. Hon. Orok Duke and the Senator representing Cross River Southern Senatorial District Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr. as a result of NDDC yuletide Palliatives allocated to the state, a public commentator Tonia B. Essien has identified political greed as the root cause of the problem.
According to her, the NDDC palliative being shared to member states every yuletide is a process that has been going on quietly for over 20 years without people knowing about it nor knowing who benefits from it not until this year.
"Kudos should be given to Rt. Hon. Orok Otu Duke for exposing this evil act and bringing the process to bare.
"The truth is, 50 socio-cultural coperative groups as demanded by NDDC for the payment of palliatives in the state are supposed to benefit ₦2million which is supposed to be paid directly to the group leaders or representatives accounts.
"The 50 different cooperatives identified were selected across the 3 senatorial districts of the states.
"The State NDDC Rep had briefed His Excellency and other stake holders who cut across the 3 senatorial districts of the state accordingly before the groups were submitted for payment" she disclosed.
Essien revealed that Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong who doubles as the Chairman Senate Committee on NDDC affairs, informed the NDDC Managing Director that payments shouldn't be made to beneficiaries as he Asuquo Ekpenyong was not contacted and consulted during the process.
"The senator insisted that as a stakeholder in the state, he needs 20 slots out of the 50 given to the state which is almost 50% of the slot.
"The State Rep Rt. Hon. Orok Otu Duke seeing this demand as unreasonable agreed to give him 5 slots which he refused and insisted on the 20.
"Meanwhile, as chairman NDDC committee, provision was made for him and his committee members, as a Senator, he had also been given 300 million naira to his senatorial zone by the commission, nobody is questioning him or blocking him on how to spend the money nor has anyone dictated to him how to go about the disbursement of his palliatives given to him by NDDC.
"Asuquo Ekpenyong Jr. cannot be running and dictating for the State Reps and the state Governor on how the groups should be selected leaving his legislative duties of making laws, except he wants to be an NDDC senator, is that how he detected for all other NDDC states too?
"I see this as political greed which is what has left the country where it is today politically, you cannot take your bumper share and still insist on feasting on the common man's share, this is greed" Essien lamented.
