Stakeholders, under the auspices of Watchdog for Progressives Ijaw (WPI), have reminded President Muhammadu Buhari that Bayelsa State is next in line to produce substantive Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

WPI made this known in a statement issued, yesterday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, by its Coordinator, Lambert Olambo.

The statement stressed that other states in the region should support Bayelsa in producing the next substantive NDDC managing director in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.

Olambo said it would be unacceptable and a breach of the Act establishing NDDC to allow any other state apart from Bayelsa to occupy the top managerial position of NDDC, and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to be properly guided before nominating the next managing director.

He said: “We understand that some states are lobbying for it. Our investigations reveal that Ondo State, through its governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, had relocated to Abuja to mount pressure on the Presidency to nominate the next managing director of NDDC from Ondo.

“But the truth is that Ondo is not qualified to occupy that position. Those hanging around the president, and collecting money from desperate politicians seeking this juicy appointment are simply cashing out and deceiving people.

“The fact remains that the law establishing NDDC rotates the chairmanship of the governing board of the agency alphabetically from A-R among oil producing states, while the managing directorship rotates among four states with the highest oil production quota. Ondo and Edo states are not part of the four highest oil-producing states as recommended by the Act.

“So, the recent agitation by Ondo and Edo states to have the MD slot is borne out of mischief, and promoted by selfish individuals around the president, who can do anything in exchange for money.”

WPI also said Buhari was in order to have appointed an astute administrator, Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, from Delta State, to act as the Managing Director of the Commission.

Describing Audu-Ohwavborua as an excellent technocrat, who understood the challenges of NDDC having served as a director in the Commission. Olambo said the new Acting Managing Director would redirect and refocus the agency to work in line with the Act, which established it.

He commended the president for summoning courage to end the era of administrative impunity in the Commission, and called on stakeholders to support Audu-Ohwavborua, pending the inauguration of a new board.