By Baron Ike
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of the former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu as Chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as well as that of the Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba.
It did on Tuesday and rejected the nomination of the acting Managing Director of Dr. Joy Yimebe Nunieh who is heading the three-man interim board appointed by Niger Delta Minister, Godswill Akpabio.
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Nunieh, a Rivers State nominee on the board, was said to have turned down the senate committee’s request for screening, according to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, Peter Nwaoboshi.
Other members confirmed by the Senate were the nominee for the position of Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Maxwell Okoh from Bayelsa State.
Others include Delta State representative, Jones Erue; Victor Ekhator (Edo State) and Nwogu Nwogu (Abia State).
Theodore Allison, representing Bayelsa State, Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River State); Olugbenga Elema (Ondo State); and Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian (Imo State) were also confirmed.
Also confirmed are the North-East representative, Ardo Zubairu from Adamawa State and Ambassador Abdullahi Bage from Nasarawa State to represent the North Central geopolitical zone and the North-West representative, Aisha Murtala Muhammed, from Kano State.
Nwaoboshi said all invitations extended to the nominee, were turned down by Dr. Nunieh, a representative of Rivers State who also shunned the Senate screening.
Consequently, the Senate, therefore, rejected her nomination.
However, crises are imminent at the NDDC as the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan charged the new board to resume work immediately having been confirmed.
Lawan said the acting board was an aberration and has no place in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when the board is in place.
He said the constitution does not recognise the interim management arrangement set up by Akpabio which President Muhammadu Buhari is said to have endorsed by hi media aide, Garba Shehu.
Lawan also urged the Senate Committee on NDDC to be alive to their oversight responsibility.