Ndoma-Egba exposes 62-step payment process, deep corruption at NDDC

Former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has raised alarm over the deep-rooted inefficiencies and political interference crippling the agency, describing it as “a good idea trapped in bad politics.”

Speaking on “The Exchange Podcast” hosted by Femi Soneye, Ndoma-Egba revealed that contractors seeking payment from the commission must pass through a staggering 62 bureaucratic processes — or “tables” — before receiving funds.

“I was told it took 62 tables for a contractor to get paid,” he said. “Initially, I heard it was 53, but I was corrected. What does that mean? Serious bureaucracy. And what does bureaucracy breed? Inefficiency. What does inefficiency breed? Corruption.”

Ndoma-Egba, who chaired the NDDC between November 2016 and January 2019, lamented that the commission, originally designed to fast-track development in the oil-rich Niger Delta, has instead become a symbol of dysfunction.

Master Plan Dumped, Development Derailed

The former senator disclosed that the commission has been operating without a functional master plan — a foundational blueprint developed through consultations with stakeholders — which was abandoned shortly after its launch.

“It’s like building a house without a plan,” he said. “You can’t integrate a whole region economically if you don’t have a master plan guiding you.”

He blamed political pressures for the abandonment, saying the NDDC was being treated as a “share of the national cake” rather than a development institution.

READ ALSO:

• Soludo faces allegations of vote-buying over N1m cash-for-votes pledge
• Yemi Edun again named among UK most influential Black people
• N6.9m fraud lands train driver in Lagos jail

Leadership Instability and Political Interference

Ndoma-Egba’s tenure was abruptly cut short in early 2019 when the board was dissolved without notice, a move he said typifies the instability that has plagued the commission.

“We just saw it on television. No notice, no reasons — just gone,” he recalled.

He warned that the constant turnover of leadership has left the commission in a perpetual state of transition, unable to plan or execute sustainable projects.

“How can any board plan for the future when it doesn’t even know if it will last a year?” he asked.

Reform Attempts Met With Violence

Ndoma-Egba also recounted how efforts to investigate corruption were violently thwarted. After a contractor alleged that bribes were being paid for project payments, he and then Managing Director Nsima Ekere set up a panel to probe the claims.

However, the panel’s inauguration at Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt was disrupted by thugs who stormed the venue and chased attendees away.

“That incident showed how deep the vested interests are in the system. It is a structure that fights back when you try to clean it up,” he said.

A Call for Reform and Stability

Despite the grim revelations, Ndoma-Egba believes reform is possible. He urged the Federal Government to allow NDDC boards to serve their full four-year tenure as prescribed by law.

“If leaders are assured of their tenure, they can plan properly and deliver,” he said. “But when they are constantly looking over their shoulders, they become reactive rather than strategic.”

The NDDC, established in 2000 to drive development in nine Niger Delta states, continues to face criticism over corruption, abandoned projects, and political meddling.

Ndoma-Egba’s remarks offer a sobering reminder that until the commission’s systems are simplified, its leadership stabilized, and its master plan revived, the NDDC will remain a development dream deferred.

Ndoma-Egba exposes 62-step payment process, deep corruption at NDDC