Barely three months after the Senate confirmed the newly constituted Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board, President Buhari has called for the disbandment of the board.
This was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate. The new board was confirmed by the Senate on Nov 5, 2019.
However, in a letter dated Tuesday, Jan 28, 2020, Buhari disclosed he would send a list of fresh nominees to the Senate for confirmation after ongoing forensic investigations of the commission have been concluded.
According to the President, he does not want any interference of the board members in the audit, hence the disbandment.
“I write to intimate the Senate of developments concerning the appointment of the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“The Senate may wish to note that, after the dissolution of the Board of the NDDC, an Interim Management Team was set up to manage the affairs of the Commission before a new board was composed and sent for Senate confirmation.
“The Senate is invited to note that while the process of composition and Senate confirmation of the appointment of the Board was ongoing, I had directed that the forensic audit of the Commission be carried out, which is being overseen by the constituted Interim Management Team.
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“Based on this, and in order to allow for uninterrupted process of the Forensic investigation, the Board appointment confirmed by the Senate has to be put on hold to allow the Interim Team continue to manage the Commission pending the outcome of the Forensic Audit.
“Thereafter, a new Board of the Commission will be recomposed for confirmation by the Senate” wrote President Buhari
Members of the disbanded board include Dr. Pius Odubu, Chairman; Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Managing Director; Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), Executive Director of Projects; Maxwell Oko (Bayelsa), Executive Director of Finance and Administration; Jones Erue (Delta); Victor Ekhator (Edo); Nwogu N Nwogu (Abia) and Theodore Allison (Bayelsa).
Others are Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom), Maurice Effiwat (Cross River), Olugbenga Edema (Ondo), Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo), Aisha Muhammed (North West); Shuaibu Zubairu (North East) and Abdullahu Bage (North Central).
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