Govt dissolves NDDC board, sends new list to lawmakers
From Alifa Daniel and Emeka Anuforo, Abuja
PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday approved the dissolution of the Governing Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The tenure of the current board was considered to have ended yesterday.
In a statement, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ufot Ekaette, noted that the President had also forwarded the names of the new chairman and members of the new board to the National Assembly for confirmation. This, he noted, was in line with Section 2 (2) (a) of the NDDC Act 2000.
According to Ekaette, until the approval of the new appointments, the out-going Chairman, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu and Managing Director, Mr. Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, will oversee the operations of the commission.
The list President Obasanjo sent to the National Assembly contained 17 full-time and part-time members of NDDC.
The new chairman of the Board, as proposed by the President, is Amb. Sam Joe Edem. Edem's appointment is based on the recommendation of the government of his state of origin, Akwa Ibom.
New part time members of the Board include Godwin Moffat Eyo (Akwa Ibom), Georgiana Kiente Ngeri Nwagha (Bayelsa), Mr. Ekpo Asuguo Ekpo Okon (Cross River), Mr. Val Arenyinka (Delta), Chief I. E. Jones Uzoka (Imo), Dr. Frederick Ebegue Amadasun (Edo), Mr. Dimabo Oruama (Rivers), Dr. Garba Na'adama (NorthWest, representing non-oil mineral producing states), Alhaji Alhassan Shuaibu (North West), Amb. Ibrahim Jimeta and Mr. Samuel Edward Inyang (representing oil producing companies in the Niger Delta, nominated by the oil companies).
The Managing Director of NDDC, Aguariavwodo, Executive Director (Projects), Ojum Beruah Elemchukwu and Executive Director (Finance and Administration), Mr. Timi Alaibe, were full-time directors that were retained.
Below is part of the text of the President's letter to the Senate on the NDDC.
"The Niger Delta Development Commission is established by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act 2000. Section 2 (1) of the Act provides that the Governing Board of NDDC shall consist of a chairman, three full-time members and fifteen part-time members. However, Section 3 (1) of the Act provides that a member of the Board, other than ex-officio members shall hold office for a term of four years from the date of his appointment at first instance and may be re-appointed for a further term of four years and no more. In this connection, the tenure of chairman and 16 members of the Commission will expire on December 21, 2004."
According to the letter, Section 4 of the Act also provides that the office of the chairman shall be rotate amongst member states of the Commission in the following alphabetical order; Abia State, Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Cross River State, Delta State, Edo State, Imo State, Ondo State and Rivers State.
Akwa Ibom has nominated the next chairman being the second state in the alphabetical order.
