There is a serious lobbying going on to supplant names cleared for the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), NewsSpecs gathered.
The Commission which has been in the eyes of the storm for the wrong reasons for a while now has been under a Sole Administrator since December 2020.
Effiong Akwa, the Sole Administrator was saddled with the responsibility of piloting the affairs of the Commission till the completion of the forensic audit, the presidency had said.
Following the submission of the audit report on 2 September 2021, however, nothing has been heard from the presidency, rather there are strong moves to bring in some fresh names.
But feelers from the presidency revealed that there is an intense lobby and scheming by politicians within and outside the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and others with links to Aso Rock to bring in their candidates through the back door.
The senate had on 5 November 2019 screened and cleared Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo) for the position of the Chairman, Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba (Delta); Executive Director Projects, Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom); Executive Director Finance and Admin, Maxwell Okoh (Bayelsa); Delta State representative, Jones Erue; Victor Ekhatar (Edo) and Nwogu Nwogu (Abia).
Others are Theodore Allison (Bayelsa); Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River); Olugbenga Elema Ondo); Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo); Northwest Rep, Aisha Muhammed (Kano); Northeast Rep, Ardo Zubairu (Adamawa) and Southwest Rep, Badmus Mutalib (Lagos).
The Senate, however, rejected the nomination of Joy Nunieh (Rivers).
The said ongoing lobby is said to be delaying the inauguration of the board already cleared by the Senate before it was placed on hold to allow for the just concluded comprehensive forensic auditing of the agency.
According to sources within the presidency, the lobbyists are throwing everything into the ring to see how they could change the mind of President Muhammadu Buhari from inaugurating the board.
The source said those behind the scheming are trying to play up a trump card, capitalising on one of the suggestions of the audit report, which suggested a “ reduction of the composition of the board.”
“The thinking is that should the government accept the suggestion, the president may be forced to resend new names to the senate for approval,” Source had said.
The sources, however, warned that this may be a dangerous trend that must be avoided as it contradicts the enabling law of the commission which actually spelt out the composition of the board.
The source argued that for any change to be made to the composition of the board, the enabling Act must first be altered.
The Presidential source therefore said the submission of most stakeholders is that further delay in inauguration of the board does not in any way do the commission and the region any good.
“A sole administrator is limited in the extent of decisions and approvals that can be taken. Developmental programmes have been stalled or slowed down in the absence of the board,” the source pointed out.
Also reacting to the issue of the board of the Commission, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), urged the government to do the right thing by inaugurating the board.
Chief Thompson Okorotie, Deputy National Chairman of the group said the government must realise that the enabling law of the commission did not recognise a sole administrator.
“My position is clear on the issue. It is for the government to do the right thing. There is no law of the Act that permits Sole administrator,” he said.
He also added that those clamouring for sole administrator for the commission are part of the past alleged corruption in the intervention agency.
He therefore urged the government to make public the report of the forensic audit on the commission.
Also, the Reacting the 21st century youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience ( 21st CYNDAC) said it is hoped that the leakages in the administrative structure that facilitated the wanton corruption and malfeasance that riddled the commission would be checked if the recommendations of the auditors are adhered to, also the managemen
Consequently, the group called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency inaugurate the board of the commission to avoid further vacuum.
The group in a statement also urged the government to do everything possible to douse the tension in the Oil rich region by creating an enabling environment with quick inauguration of the substantive board already screened and confirmed by the senate.
NDDC was established on 5 June 2000 as a purpose vehicle for the development of the oil rich region. The commission was mandated to address the developmental gaps in the oil producing states of the country, which are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Abia, Imo and Cross River.
