Senate refuses to confirm Rivers State NDDC nominee

….Lawan asks the new board to take over from interim committee

Nigeria’s Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has asked the newly confirmed board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to immediately take over the affairs of the commission.

Lawan’s declaration comes amidst protests over the composition of an interim committee set up the minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio to oversee the affairs of the commission.

Lawan said after the nominees sent by President Buhari was confirmed on Tuesday that the law setting up the NDDC does not recognise any interim arrangement once a board is in place, Punch reports.

He asked the new board members to take over immediately according to the law setting up the NDDC.

He added that inaugurating the new board members would not affect the works of the forensic auditors.

Lawan charged the senate committee on the NDDC to be alive to its responsibility by carrying out its oversight functions.

Those confirmed by the senate include the former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr Pius Odubu as Chairman of the Board.

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Others include NDDC Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Executive Director Finance and Administration, Maxwell Okoh(Bayelsa), Prophet Jones Erue; Chief Victor Ekhator (Edo State) and Nwogu Nwogu (Abia State).

Others are Theodore Allison, representing Bayelsa State, Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River State); Olugbenga Elema (Ondo State); and Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian (Imo State).

The rest are 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,

The nominee from Rivers State, Dr Joy Yimebe Nunieh, who is the current managing director of the interim management board of the agency failed to show up for the Senate screening.

Peter Nwaoboshi, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the NDDC, while presenting the report of the screening exercise said all invitations extended to the nominee were turned down.

The Senate rejected her nomination.