Oshiomole, Omo-Agege proxies Take Over NDDC

By Amechi Ekpeneru

Determined to deepen reach of ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the South-South region, President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a crack team of loyalists to the party’s leader in the region to the highly lucrative board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

According to a Press statement from the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), former Deputy-Governor during the eight years reign of Adams Oshiomole as Edo State Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu has been appointed Chairman of newly composed Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Odubu has remained a loyalist of Oshiomole despite failing to succeed his former boss in 2016.

Also, a loyalist of the Deputy-Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, Bernard O. Okumagba from Delta State was named Managing Director of NDDC.

His nomination was despite serious lobbying by the Ijaw, Itsekiri and Isoko ethnic nationalities against the emergence of another Urhobo in a top political position in the state. The minister from the state, Mr. Festus Keyamo and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege are both Urhobo.

Okumagba even though Urhobo is, however, from the Delta South Senatorial District unlike the pair of Keyamo and Omo-Agege who are from Delta Central.

The statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Olusegun A. Adekunle, Esq, (KJW), said the appointments of Odubu and other members of the NDDC Board by President Muhammadu Buhari are subject to confirmation of the Senate.

Other members of the board are Executive Director Project, Engr. Otobong Ndem – Akwa Ibom, Executive Director – Finance & Admin, Maxwell Okoh – Bayelsa.

Non Executive positions are Prophet Jones Erue – Delta, Chief Victor Ekhatar – Edo, Dr. Joy Yimebe Nunieh – Rivers, Nwogu Nwogu – Abia, Theodore A. Allison – Bayelsa, Victor Antai – Akwa Ibom, Maurice Effiwatt – Cross River, Olugbenga Elema – Ondo, Hon. Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian  – Imo.

The statement said Aisha Murtala Muhammed from Kano will represent North West, Ardo Zubairu from Adamawa represents North-East and Engr. Badmus Mutalib from Lagos represents South-West on the board.

The interim management headed by Prof. Nelson Brambaifa was directed to hand-over to the most senior Director in the Commission.

According to the OSGF statement, the Chairman and members of the newly composed Governing Board were invited to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Monday, 2nd September, 2019 at 2.00 p.m for proper documentation and briefing.

“They are to come along with their updated CVs and valid identification,” he added.

Some stakeholders in Delta State had been canvassing for the position of chairman and managing director to come from Delta State on the basis of the NDDC Act of rotation of the chairman along with alphabetical order.

President Muhammadu Buhari, however, reportedly opted against that line of thought on the premise that the two offices will not be given to one state.

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