By Our Correspondent
A civil society organisation, Safe and Better Nigeria (SBN), has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, over the alleged proliferation of substandard solar street lights across the Niger Delta region.
The group expressed worry that many solar-powered streetlights installed in several communities in the region have reportedly malfunctioned only a few months after installation, raising serious concerns about the quality of the projects and the possible waste of public funds.
In a statement made available to journalists, the National Coordinator of Safe and Better Nigeria, Comrade Solomon Charles Ikpaka, lamented that the widespread failure of the solar streetlight projects has left many communities in darkness despite huge public resources reportedly committed to the initiative.
According to the group, the development has triggered growing complaints from residents across the Niger Delta who say the installations initially appeared promising but quickly stopped functioning shortly after commissioning.
Ikpaka noted that the presence of non-functional solar streetlights scattered across communities has now become an eyesore, questioning the standard of procurement and supervision under the leadership of the current NDDC management.
He argued that the situation not only represents a waste of public money but also undermines the trust of the people of the region who rely on the intervention agency for meaningful development projects.
The SBN coordinator further expressed concern that while the alleged proliferation of faulty projects persists, the NDDC Managing Director has continued to receive chieftaincy titles from various communities across the Niger Delta.
Ikpaka also criticised what he described as the alleged use of public funds for personal glorification, citing the reported invitation of popular Nigerian musician Davido and other entertainers to perform at an event in Ayakoro Community in Ogbia Local Government Area.
He questioned whether such activities align with the core mandate of the NDDC, which was established to drive development and address infrastructural deficits across the oil-producing region.
The group asked how many chieftaincy titles Dr. Ogbuku had received before his appointment as Managing Director of the commission, and whether he had ever organised events where musicians were invited to perform prior to assuming office.
Ikpaka maintained that public officials entrusted with managing development funds must be held accountable and should avoid actions that could create the perception of mismanagement or diversion of resources meant for the people.
He therefore urged the ICPC to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the allegations surrounding the solar streetlight projects and other activities linked to the NDDC leadership.
The SBN national coordinator warned that failure to urgently address the issues could encourage further abuse of public trust and resources meant for the development of the Niger Delta.
Ikpaka added that early intervention by anti-corruption agencies would help prevent what he described as a potential slide into “open-day thievery and deeper mismanagement of funds” at the expense of the region’s growth and development.
