Five South-South Governors have called on the President and the Federal Government to uphold the tenets of the law establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by appropriately constituting its board.
In addition, the Governors expressed the hope that the Federal Government will make the forensic audit report on the NDDC public and be courageous enough to deal justly and fairly with the report with the view to strengthening the capacity of NDDC to meet its obligations to the people of the region.
This is part of the six point communique that was read out to journalists by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who presided over the meeting of the South-South Governors Forum meeting that held at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
“The Governors met on Monday, October 4th, 2021. After an extensive deliberation, they resolved; unequivocally support the decision for States to collect Value Added Tax, and resolved to join the suit before the Supreme Court.”
The meeting that was attended by Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike; Chief Emmanuel Udom, Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State and Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, also approved the South-South regional security architecture which will be launched very soon.
Also contained in the communique is the demand by the Council on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to take necessary measures to review some unfair aspects of the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in the spirit of fairness and equity.
“It urged that the amendment should include clear definition of host community and that the trustees should be appointed by State Governments.
