Senate Approves NDDC Nominees Except One

The Senate has confirmed nominees for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)  board. The upper chamber approved 15 nominees but rejected one.

Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Pius Odubu  was confirmed as Chairman of the board while Delta State’s Bernard Okumagba  was confirmed as Managing Director and Bayelsa’s Maxwell Okoh as Executive Director Finance and Administration.

Other nominees are Prophet  Erue (Delta), Victor Ekhator (Edo), Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), Nwogu Nwogu (Abia), Theodore Allison (Bayelsa), Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River), Uchegbu  Kyrian (Imo) and Ardo  Zubairu (North-East).

The rest are Olugbenga Elema (Ondo), Aisha Muhammed (North-West), Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom) and Abdullahi Bage (North-Central).

Although, one nominee was rejected after for being absent for the screening of nominees. The Senate rejected Dr. Joy Nunieh of Rovers State.

Nunieh, Managing Director of NDDC's interim management committee set up by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio was said to have shunned the panel’s invitation.

Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate, told the new NDDC board  to take over the affairs of the agency immediately.

Lawan reacted to the concerns raised by the Senate Minority Leader,  Enyinnaya Abaribe, and former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who wondered about the fate of the new board  since there was  an interim arrangement in place at the agency.

Lawan said, “With the completion of this process (confirmation), I am sure that any other structure that exists (in the NDDC) is vitiated. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, because this is one thing that is clearly established by the law. I want to urge the committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission that after this new management takes over the management of the NDDC,  we need to do a proper oversight. This goes to other committees but Niger Delta is a special case.

“We will recall that the President had cause  to ask for a total probe into what happened to the finances of the NDDC.

“This, I think, is not an indictment of us, but I think we are supposed to worry because we are supposed to continuously oversee wherever public funds are put for the development of our people. So, the committee on the NDDC has a lot of work to do. You must make sure that whatever is budgeted is prudently, effectively and efficiently put to use. I believe that in the next few days, we will communicate to Mr President the result of our confirmation.”