Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved the recomposition of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board after a forensic audit of the organization.
Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said the president has also directed that the Interim Management Team of the NDDC will be in place till the forensic is completed and that the supervision of the Commission shall remain under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
The NDDC is at a historic crossroads having been caught in a web of intricate power play involving contending forces within the Presidency and the National Assembly.
Reports indicate a tumultuous time in the Niger Delta region since the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, released a circular announcing the composition of a new NDDC board in August.
This was consequent upon the sack of the immediate past interim management committee (IMC) following allegations of corruption and irregularities in the day-to-day functioning of the NDDC.
The genesis of the current crisis plaguing the interventionist agency that was established to address the dire developmental needs of the Niger Delta, as well as oil-producing states, lies in the alleged flawed manner, which the new board members were appointed, particularly in the case of the chairman, Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo) and Bernard Okumagba (Delta) as managing director.
