President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan has observed that there may be a delay in the confirmation of nominees for Chairman and members of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Senator Lawan made the observation following a point of order raised on the nomination of the NDDC Board Chairman and members by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari today asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of his Special Adviser on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie who is from a non-oil producing area of Delta State as the substantive Chairman of the Board of the NDCC.
President Buhari’s letter which was read at plenary by the Senate President named 14 members of the NDDC Board to include: Dimgba Arugba, State representative from Abia (South East); Dr Emem Wilcox Wills, State representative from Akwa Ibom (South South); Elder Sen. Dimaro Denyabofa, State representative from Bayelsa (South South); Hon. Orok Duke,State representative from Cross River (South South) and Dr Pius Egberanmwen, State representative from Edo (South South).
Others are: Engr. Anthony Okene, State representative from Imo (South East); Hon Gbenga Edema, State representative from Ondo (South West); *Elekwati Dimpa, State representative from Rivers (South South); Alhaji Muhammed Kabir Abubakar, zonal representative from Nasarawa State (North Central); Alhaji Sule Iko Sadiq Sanni, zonal representative from Kebbi State (North West) and Prof. Tahir Mamman, OON, SAN, zonal representative from Adamawa State (North East).
TNG reports Buhari nominated Chief Dr Samuel Ogboku from Bayelsa (South South) for the position of Managing Director, for a term of two years, to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor; Major General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) from Edo State (South South) for the position of Executive Director, Finance and Charles B. Ogunmola from Ondo State (South West) for the position of Executive Director, Projects.
Meanwhile, citing Order 42, the Deputy Senate President, Omo-Agege faulted the NDDC board nomination list sent to the Senate by President Buhari over the absence of a representative from Delta State, which he described as an anomaly.
Why thanking Buhari for eventually sending the list after almost three years, Omo-Agege said: “Listening to the list read out, I did not hear any name read out as a State Representative to represent Delta State in the board of the NDDC”.
The DSP went further to say: “By the provisions of Section 2 (1A and 1B), specifically 2(1B) of the NDDC Act, every State of the Niger Delta is supposed to have one member, an indigene of the State, representing the State in the board of the NDDC, as a State representative.
“Now, the list read out has all of the States represented but Delta State does not have a State representative. So, I will like to appeal to Mr President to graciously reach out to the Executive arm to do the needful, to correct the anomaly”.
Reacting, the Senate President, Lawan said: “I have taken note and I am using this opportunity to advise the Executive arm of government that because we want to screen and consider the request of Mr President for the nominees to be confirmed, the needful must be done that every State of the Niger Delta is supposed to have one State representative.
“In the case of Delta, you have the Chairman, you do not have a State representative. We will go strictly by the law establishing the NDDC. Let me also advise the Executive that it is in the interest of the Niger Delta and the entire country that we get that nomination for a State representative for Delta State. Otherwise, this will delay our processes here in the Senate for considering this request”.
