By Emmanuel Nduka
The Nigerian Government on Wednesday inaugurated a substantive governing Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) after nearly four years of back and forth.
In her first speech as Chairman of the Board, Lauretta Onochie, a former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, pleaded to Niger Deltans to give her “breathing space” to enable her deliver on her job.
She pledged that efforts will be channelled towards building the capacity of youths in the region to bring them up to speed with their pairs around the world.
Onochie regretted that the Commission has bore a negative narrative since its inception. “We cannot continue to work with the same techniques and expect different results,” she said.
Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana while inaugurating the Board in Abuja, said the task before them “shall include a faithful implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Forensic Audit”.
He noted that besides the findings of the Forensic Audit, Federal Government has received numerous petitions alleging irregularities in employment in the Commission.
“The New Board will have to look into these allegations of irregular employment from 2019 and follow up on the ongoing personnel audit in the Commission to make sure that all cases of employment during the period under review were in accordance with extant rules and regulations of the Service,” he added.
Umana reminded the Board of a September 29, 2019 letter from the Federal Government ordering the NDDC to carry out its activities under the supervision of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
He further urged the new Board to “shun the impulse for the award of spurious and indiscriminate new contracts”, adding that they should “instead focus on the completion of ongoing projects to better serve the people of the region and deliver on the mandate of the NDCC, thereby helping to repair the negative public perception for the Commission”.
Other members of the Board are: Dimgba Erugba, state representative (Abia, South East); Dr. Ene Wilcox (Akwa Ibom, state representative, South South); Dr. Pius Odudu (Edo, South South); Gbenga Odegba (Ondo, South West) and Anthony Ekene (Imo, South East).
Mr. Onyekachi Dimgba (Rivers, South South); Alhaji Mohammed Kabiru Abubakar (zonal representative, Nasarawa); Prof. Tallen Mamma, (North East representative, Adamawa); Sodique Sani (North West, zonal representative); Retired General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (Executive Director of Finance) and Charles Ogunmola (Executive Director Project, South West), completes the pack.
