Tension As Senate President Orders New Panel To Take Over NDDC

Fresh trouble looms in the Niger Delta Development Commission as the Senate President,  Ahmad Lawan asked the newly confirmed board members to take over the affairs of the agency immediately.

Lawan who stated this after the upper chamber confirmed the appointment of the nominees forwarded to the Senate last week, said the law setting up the NDDC does not recognise any interim arrangement once a board is in place.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, had set up an interim management team that would be in place for six months to oversee a forensic audit of the agency.

But Lawan said the new board, members should take over immediately according to the law setting up the NDDC.

He added that inaugurating the new board members would not affect the works of the forensic auditors.

Lawan asked the senate committee on the NDDC to be alive to its responsibility by carrying out its oversight functions.

First to be confirmed was a former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu as Chairman of the Board followed by the nominee for the position of Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba.

The Senate also confirmed the nominee for the position of Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Maxwell Okoh from Bayelsa State.

Others confirmed by the red chamber include Delta State representative, Jones Erue; Victor Ekhator (Edo State) and Nwogu Nwogu (Abia State).

Others are Theodore Allison, representing Bayelsa State, Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River State); Olugbenga Elema (Ondo State); and Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian (Imo State).

The others are the North-East representative, Ardo Zubairu from Adamawa State and Ambassador Abdullahi Bage from Nasarawa State to represent the North Central geopolitical zone and  the North-West representative, Aisha Murtala Muhammed, from Kano State,

Meanwhile, the nominee from  Rivers State, Dr. Joy Yimebe Nunieh, who is the current managing director of interim management board of the agency shunned the Senate screening.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, Peter Nwaoboshi, while presenting the report of the screening exercise said all invitations extended to the nominee, were turned down.

The Senate, therefore, rejected her nomination.