President appoints Braimbraifa NDDC acting MD

*Protests Rock Appointment, As N’Delta Leaders Task Buhari On Commission’s ACT
President Buhari has approved the appointment of Nelson Braimbraifa as acting Managing Director for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The President, following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolution, has equally vested the supervisory role of the commission in the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as well as approved the dissolution of the extant board. Also appointed as Acting Executive Director (Finance and Administration) of NDDC is Chris Amadi, while Samuel Adjogbe becomes the Acting Executive Director (Projects). The appointments take immediate effect.

Following these appointments, protests rocked the NDDC early yesterday morning as protesters took to the streets with placards, protesting the transfer of power to the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Mene Derek by Nsima Udo Ekere, the APC Governorship candidate for Akwa Ibom State.

The protest was organized by a coalition of groups, including Niger Delta Front, South-South Youths and other organizations. Leader of the NDF, John Harry, who addressed journalists, said they decided to protest to stop the handing over, plans to extend the tenure of the current board and gross abuse of office and called on the National Assembly to wield the big stick to stop the crisis in the commission by dissolving the NDDC board. He also urged President Buhari to maintain peace in the region by appointing a sole administrator to oversee the management of the commission and implement the NDDC ACT.

The present tenure of Ndoma Egba and others elapsed on October 31, 2018.