President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday disclosed that a new Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) would be constituted and sent to the National Assembly for confirmation.
The disclosure was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and dated December 23, 2019.
According to the letter, the earlier Board duly confirmed by the Senate will be put on hold to allow the Interim Management Team carry out a forensic audit of the Commission.
President Buhari added that a new board will thereafter be constituted after the Interim Team led by Joy Nunieh concludes work on a forensic investigation of the NDDC.
The letter reads: “I write to intimate the Senate of developments concerning the appointment of the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“The Senate may wish to note that, after the dissolution of the Board of the NDDC, an Interim Management Team was set up to manage the affairs of the Commission before a new board was composed and sent for Senate confirmation.
“The Senate is invited to note that while the process of composition and Senate confirmation of the appointment of the Board was ongoing, I had directed that the forensic audit of the Commission be carried out, which is being overseen by the constituted Interim Management Team.
“Based on this, and in order to allow for uninterrupted process of the Forensic investigation, the Board appointment confirmed by the Senate has to be put on hold to allow the Interim Team continue to manage the Commission pending the outcome of the Forensic Audit.
“Thereafter, a new Board of the Commission will be recomposed for confirmation by the Senate.”
The nominees on the NDDC board confirmed by the Senate last year and put on hold are: Dr. Pius Odubu, Chairman; Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Managing Director; Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), Executive Director of Projects; Maxwell Oko (Bayelsa), Executive Director of Finance and Administration; Jones Erue (Delta); Victor Ekhator (Edo); Nwogu N Nwogu (Abia) and Theodore Allison (Bayelsa).
Others are Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom), Maurice Effiwat (Cross River), Olugbenga Edema (Ondo), Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo), Aisha Muhammed (North West); Shuaibu Zubairu (North East) and Abdullahu Bage (North Central).
