Senate Orders Screening Of Onochie, 14 Others For NDDC Board
The Senate ordered the Niger Delta Affairs Committee on Tuesday to start assessing President Muhammadu Buhari’s candidates for the chairmanship and 14 more positions on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, or NDDC.
On November 25, President Buhari wrote to the Senate requesting that Lauretta Ifeanyi Onochie, a resident of Delta State and his special assistant for new media, be confirmed as board chairperson of the NDDC and the other 14 members.
Other candidates include Elekwachi Dinkpa, Dr. Emem Wilcos Wills, Dr. Pius Obuluku, Hon. Orok Duke of Cross River, Engr. Anthony Okanne of Imo, Hon. Gbenga Edema of Ondo, and Dimgba Erugba of Abia State (Rivers).
The rest are Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar (North Central zonal representative), Alhaji Sule-Iko Ssmi (North West), Prof. Tahir Mamman (North East), Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku from Bayelsa State (Managing Director for a term of two years, to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor in office), Major General Charles Airhinvbere from Edo (Executive Director, Finance) and Charles Ogunmola from Ondo (Executive Director, Projects), respectively.
The Senate Leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC Sokoto East) read the Executive Communication from President Buhari that the upper legislative chamber do consider the request on the confirmation for the appointment as chairman and members of NDDC in accordance with the provisions of section 2( 2)( a) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Act, Cap N86 LFN.
Consequently, the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, referred it to the Committee on Niger Delta Affairs to carry out an expeditious screening and report back to plenary next week Tuesday.
With the absence of Senator Nwaoboshi in the Senate, the Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bulus Amos, (APC Gombe South) will preside over the screening.
The committee is, however, yet to fix a day for the screening.
