Concerns As Reps Screen NDDC Board Nominees Afresh

There are concerns over the planned re-screening of the nominees for the positions of chairman and members of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) after the Senate had carried out the exercise.

The Senate had confirmed the nominees, with Mr. Sam Ogboku as managing director and Mr. Chiedu Ibie as chairman of the board, and transmitted a letter to the Presidency to that effect last week.

The Senate had given a nod to the Presidency to inaugurate the appointees in order for them to resume their official engagements.

This did not go down with the House of Reps which insisted that it was supposed to be consulted, in line with the NDDC Act, and was poised to rock the boat.

However, Tinubu formally requested the House’s confirmation of nominees for the positions of chairman and members of the Governing Board of NDDC, in compliance with the provisions of section 2(2) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment etc.) Act.

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The president’s request is contained in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and mentioned at plenary yesterday.

The section amongst others states that the board and management of NDDC would “be appointed by the President and Commander-in-Chief-of the Armed Forces, subject to the confirmation of the Senate in consultation with the House of Representatives.”

Consequently, the House set up an Ad-Hoc Committee with Hon. Ibori Erhiatake as chairman to join the confirmation committee of the Senate for the exercise.

The committee is expected to sit for the confirmation exercise on Thursday, October 12 and brief the House on Tuesday, October 17.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu who presided over the plenary hailed President Bola Tinubu for keeping to the letter of the Law for bringing the names of the nominees for confirmation before the Senate in conjunction with the House.