NDDC MD: Reps Right On Equity; Wrong On Ondo – Niger Delta Group

Niger Delta Coalition for Good Governance, Justice, Fairness and Equity has applauded the June 10, 2021 resolution by the House of Representatives on the need for equity in the appointment of a Managing Director for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The group has, however, faulted the assertion that Ondo State is the fifth member state of the NDDC in the order of production of oil and gas, insisting that Edo State “occupies the fifth position in terms of quantum of production of oil and gas in the region.”

The group’s positions were contained in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, dated June 15, 2021, and signed by its Coordinator General, Surveyor (Engr) Bruno Odaro Igbinova.

In the letter entitled: “Niger Delta Development Commission and the need for justice, fairness and equity in the appointment of the next Managing Director’, the group cited facts and figures from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, to support its claims on Edo State.

The group stated that the figures from the OAGF and the RMAFC from December, 2020 to May 2021 showed that Edo State was ahead of Ondo State in production quantum.

It cited for instance that in December 2020, while Edo’s oil and gas production quantum was 11,290,068, Ondo produced 4,083,377; in January 2021, while Edo produced cumulatively 11, 355,083, Ondo produced 4,256,327; in February 2021, while Edo’s production figure was 12,113,332, Ondo produced 4,011,675.

The group stated that Edo produced 12,533,681 in March 2021 while Ondo produced 4,195,526; adding that Edo produced 12,562,963 in April 2021 while Ondo produced 3,969,319.  It added that in May 2021, Edo produced 12,117,170 while Ondo produced 4,149,063.

According to the group, “Flowing from the above figures, it is obvious that Edo State occupies the 5th position after Delta State, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa State respectively.

“Consequently, Edo State is therefore next in line to produce the Managing Director under this dispensation since the four states mentioned above had previously produced the Managing Director.”

NDDC Law

The group added that “The Edo State position is not only supported by facts and figures, it is also founded in Law. The relevant Sections of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act  2000 are Part iv S. 12 (1) and Part vi S. 30.

S. 12(1) provides that “There shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director, and two Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with the member states of the Commission with the highest production quantum of oil and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production”.

S.30, the definition section of the Act provides that “Oil means oil and gas”

“It is therefore clear that Edo State produces more oil and gas than Ondo State. It is the 5th ranked producer and it is therefore by law, equity, fairness and justice her turn to produce NDDC’s Managing Director!”

The group also disclosed in the letter the names of those who had served as Managing Directors of the NDDC and the states they represented since inception of the Commission in accordance with the law.

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