Traditional rulers under the aegis of Traditional Rulers of Oil Producing Communities in Nigeria have charged oil companies to remit their three per cent contributions to the Niger Delta Development Commission or leave the region.
Secretary of TROMPCON, Oba Obafemi Ogbaro, made the call on behalf of the group in a statement issued on Sunday.
The group also urged the National Assembly to use its powers on the oil companies that consistently flout the law by not remitting their three per cent contributions to the NDDC.
“We are ready to cooperate with the NDDC, National Assembly and the ministry to sue these companies and stop their operations in the region, if they continue to fail to comply,” Ogbaro stated.
He also said the people of the Niger Delta region should cooperate with the Minister of Niger Delta, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, and the newly inaugurated Interim Management Committee headed by the acting Managing Director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei.
He urged the commission’s directors to cooperate and work with the IMC to deliver on its mandate.
Ogbaro was further quoted as saying, “We are not unaware of the activities of many of the redeployed directors of the commission and others inciting their paid lackeys to publish falsehoods about the minister and the new IMC.
“We are particularly miffed about the sponsored spate of blackmail, backbiting and persistent bad press and attacks on the personality of the minister and by extension the President.”
The secretary advised all parties to sheathe their swords of accusations and counter accusations, pending the outcome of the audit report ordered to determine among others the past financial details of the commission.