PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, November 23, sought the senate’s confirmation of the appointment of his Special Assistant on New Media, Lauretta Onochie, as the substantive Chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The President’s letter to that effect was read at plenary by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, and it also include a list of 14 others nominees as Board members.
Lawan said the President appointed Onochie, from Delta State in the South- South zone, as Chairman Board, with Chief Samuel Ogbokwu from Bayelsa State as the Managing Director for a term of two years to complete the term of his predecessor in office.
Other members include Dimgba Erugba, representing Abia State; Dr. Emem Willcox Wills (Akwa Ibom); Elder Denyanbofa Dimaro (Bayelsa State); Orok Duke (Cross River); Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo State); Engineer Anthony Ekenne (Imo State); Gbenga Edema (Ondo State); Elekwachi Dimkpa (Rivers State); Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar (Nasarawa State, representing North Central zone); Alhaji Sadiq Sami Sule-Ikoh ( Kebbi State, Northwest) and Prof. Tahir Mamman (Adamawa State, Northeast)
Buhari also nominated Maj-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) from Edo State as the Executive Director, Finance and Charles Ogunmola, from Ondo State as the Executive Director, Projects.
The nominations were in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(2) A of the NDDC Act, Cap N86, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, which empowers the President to do so, hoping the request would receive the usual expeditious consideration and confirmation of the senate.
But Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, raised a concern that Delta State, which had just one representative, was not fully represented on the Board of the NDDC as read at plenary, given that Edo, Rivers, Ondo and Bayelsa have two representatives each.
Similarly, Senator Thompson Sekibo from Rivers State noted that the senate had earlier in 2020 screened and confirmed some nominees, who the President has not inaugurated up till now.
The senate president, in his response, assured Omo-Agege and Sekibo that the attention of the executive would be drawn to the issues before the parliament would start the screening exercise.
