Group flays FG over NDDC board, insist on chairmanship slot for Delta

The Centre for Peace and Good Governance (CPGG) has faulted President Muhammadu Buhari over the constitution of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC’s) board.

In a statement issued by its President, Chike Oliseh, the group maintained that the new board was announced without compliance with due process and the extant laws governing the NDDC

CPGG wondered why the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) made the announcement only after President Buhari left the country for the ongoing Tokyo International Conference in Japan.

Citing Section 2 of the NDDC Act (as amended) to justify its position, the group warned that the skewed nature of the board could threaten the relative peace in the Niger Delta region

“Section 2.2 it states: The Chairman and other members of the Board shall be appointed by the President… subject to the confirmation of the Senate, in consultation with the House of Representatives.

“Section 4 states: “The office of the Chairman shall rotate amongst the member states of the Commission in the following alphabetical order: Abia; Akwa Ibom; Bayelsa;

Cross-River; Delta; Edo; Imo; Ondo and Rivers,” it stated, wondering why the Federal Government ceded the chairmanship slot to Edo this time around.

Besides, the Ondo South Mandate Group (OSMG) yesterday rejected the nomination of Gbenga Edema as commissioner representing Ondo State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), alleging prejudice.

The group, comprising All Progressives Congress (APC) members, oil-producing communities and leaders of Ondo South Senatorial District, said Edema’s nomination was fraught with irregularities.

In a statement issued by Chairman and Secretary of OSMG, Benson Odoro, and Ayesa Adebambo, the group argued that since Edema was Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC), another person should have been nominated as NDDC’s commissioner.

The group said Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s nomination of Edema as OSOPADEC boss was illegal because he was not from the core oil-producing community in Ilaje Council Area of the state.

Meanwhile, aggrieved youths of the Ovia-North East Council Area of Edo State yesterday staged a peaceful protest against the exclusion of the constituency in the appointment of members of the NDDC board by the Federal Government.

The group, which rejected the appointment of Edo State representative on the NDDC board, Victor Ekhator, decried the neglect of their constituency in the state oil-producing communities.

Spokesman of the group, Imafidon Imadeyogie, said besides having the largest voting population, Ovia North East voted massively for the APC in the state.

Imadeyogie accused the National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole of masterminding the process that robbed the constituency of the state’s NDDC representative appointment.