Nigeria Content Devt. Monitoring Board Should Wake Up To Her Responsibility -Comrade Francis Obule (JP)

By Wilson Macaulay

Comrade Francis Obule J.P, the Delta State Coordinator, of PDP Mobilizes a renowned advocate of good governance recently took the Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board NCDMB to  the cleaners when he described the Agency as a toothless bulldog that can only bark but cannot bite, adding that they should wake up to their responsibility.

The Social Advocate who was speaking to a group of professionals in a public function in Warri Delta State went down the memory lane to recall that the Nigeria Content Development Monitoring Board was created in 2010 through an Act of parliament to bridge the gap between oil companies and the host communities but regrettably, the Agency has not lived up to its purpose.

Comrade Francis Obule J.P emphasized in his verbal barrage that the Agency which ought to help the FG and other relevant stake holders to clear the Augean stable by ensuring that they do the needful in the spirit and letter of what informed their establishment so that the oil companies and the host communities can be on same page, but have whimsically decided to make the Agency a black horse and a  cartel of non-compliance thereby inadvertently aiding and abetting the underdevelopment agenda of the Niger Delta region which produces oil and gas by those who do not believe in project Nigeria.

He correctly pointed out  that the local Content Development Board alone is not to blame as other sister agencies like DPR, NOSDRA, NDDC, etc to mention but few are not alive to their responsibilities as they lack the patriotic zeal to drive the objective for their establishment.

Comrade Francis Obule the erudite Justice of peace, opined that it is time for President Muhammadum Buhari to take a deep breath down and sum-up courage to send appropriate signals to these ailing Agencies of government which have not justified their purpose of existence. He insisted that the NCDMB must have a paradigm shift from their nonchalant posture to that of willingness  to contribute their expected  quota in our collective effort in the building of a strong and a virile nation.

Speaking further, on the inaction of the NCDMB, Comrade Francis Obule said: “The NCDMB and other Agencies of government vested with the responsibility of enforcing compliance to the country laws should have a rethink before the sword of battle fall on them like the pharaoh of Egypt who refused to listen to the counsels of Moses by stopping his ears like a vexed adder.

According to Comrade Francis Obule J.P, , there is no way patriotic Nigerians like him who believes so much in Project Nigeria can keep mute and allow the carnage and pillage to go on while the people employed and paid with tax payers money are lining up their pockets with petrol dollars to the detriment of our common goal.

Continuing, Comrade Francis Obule posited; “ The APC Political power brokers of the Buhari administration should not display I don’t care character over salient issues of this nature because they will not be in office for ever but they remain the native of which ever place they hail  from, without an option for a change of their ethnic nationalities.

He explained that the import of the above is to ensure that Nigerians do not compromise the process of making Nigeria great on the altar of self-aggrandizement to the detriment of their people who are down trodden.

Comrade Francis Obule lamented as he pointed out numerous promises unkempt by the oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta region without obeying the various enabling laws as the Agencies vested with power to enforce the compliance actually enjoy playing the role of accomplices, wereby corruption  has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation’s economy. He insisted that the various ministries and Agencies of government should sit tight and do the needful for the county to move forward.

He averred that he practice where by government Agencies refused to do the needful has left  the oil & gas producing communities  in the quagmire of underdevelopment.

The Social and good governance Activist in the chat called on President Muhammadu Buhari to understand that the host committees are in distress adding that the earlier the presidency  do something fundamental to address the menace, the better for Nigeria or the  siege will continue.

He remarked that it is  germane to note that it is an error for places like Otujeremi, Eyera, Imode, Oginibo, Ighrekan, Edjophe, Otor-udu, Ugborhen, Okuovu Ozue district, Okwagbe, Elume, Erhuwaren, Ayagha, and Agbohwame Etc. which are host communities to Oil & gas companies to be in darkness while what they produce supplies  power to  Ghana, Togo, Abuja etc.

He lamented that besides the darkness, the host communities have no portable water to drink, when it rains the water collected is filled with carbon sooth while in the riverine communities the people drink the same water on w

hich they pass feaces.