By Ani Bassey
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to recover all funds stolen from the Niger Delta Development Commission.
The President made this known in an address he virtually presented while commissioning the NDDC hostel at the University of Uyo.
The hostel which is a 1050- Bed Space Ultra-Modern Hostel Complex was donated to the University of Uyo by the Niger Delta Development Commission.
President Buhari in his address vowed “to ensure every recoverable kobo, is recovered for use in service of the people of this region and those found culpable shall face the Law.
He commended the management of the NDDC for the feat saying the commission is gradually being repositioned to perform its core responsibilities.
“This ultramodern hostel complex, built and donated to the University of Uyo by NDDC, renews our confidence that the forensic audit, which has been completed and currently being reviewed for necessary action, had achieved one of its core objectives.
“That objective is to rebuild the NDDC into an agency that is well equipped and better placed to facilitate sustainable regional development in a transparent and impactful way.
“Across many of our public universities and institutions of higher learning, our children face accommodation challenges. While private investors are taking advantage of this gap to provide accommodation, unfortunately, this often harshly tasks the resources of parents and guardians.
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“This prototype university hostel consists of 1,050-bed spaces, 525 each for males and females, and is furnished to meet the needs of a university student. The complex also boasts of significant hard and soft infrastructure to ensure its sustainability and durability.
“The completion of this structure is equally in recognition of the importance government attaches to providing quality housing and improved education for all Nigerians”, President Buhari said.
The President also mandated statutory contributors to ensure that all revenues accruing to the commission is remitted transparently saying, “I want to use the opportunity of this commissioning to direct all statutory contributors to the NDDC to remit all outstanding funds to the Commission, and to ensure this is done transparently and according to laid down procedure and process”.
Earlier in his remarks, Minister Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio thanked the president for keeping to his promise of making the Niger Delta Region better than he met it.
In the Minister’s words, ” We are today commissioning one of the projects hitherto abandoned by subsequent administrations.
“President Buhari’s commitment to bringing positive change to the Niger Delta region has led to the commissioning of abandoned projects all over the region”, he said.
The former Senate Minority Leader, called on all lovers of progress as demonstrated by the resolve of the president, to rally around the president to do more for the region by giving him the needed support.
In his welcome address, the Interim Administrator of the NDDC, Dr .Efiong Akwa, charged the students and the institution’s management to ensure that the facility is optimally maintained for longevity.
