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President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Senate to approve the appointment of his Special Adviser on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie, as the substantive chairman of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
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Senate had, earlier, rejected her nomination as commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in October 2020.
The nomination had sparked outrage from a section of the public, following concerns that she was a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The presidential aide, however, maintained that she had resigned her membership of the party in 2019. Buhari’s letter, which was read at plenary by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, yesterday, also named 15 others as members of the board.
The letter reads in part: “In accordance with the provisions of Section 2(2) A of the NDDC Act, Cap N86, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I, hereby, present the underlisted 15 names of nominees as chairman and members of the NDDC for confirmation by the Senate.”
The nominees are: Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie (Delta, South South) as chairman; Dimgba Erugba, state representative (Abia, South East); Dr. Ene Wilcox (Akwa Ibom, state representative, South South); Dr. Pius Odudu (Edo, South South); Gbenga Odegba (Ondo, South West) and Anthony Ekene (Imo, South East).
Others are: Mr. Onyekachi Dimgba (Rivers, South South); Alhaji Mohammed Kabiru Abubakar (zonal representative, Nasarawa); Prof. Tallen Mamma, (North East representative, Adamawa); Sodique Sani (North West, zonal representative); Retired General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (Executive Director of Finance) and Charles Ogunmola (Executive Director Project, South West).
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