A Federal lawmaker, Hon. Donald Ojogo has called on President Bola Tinubu to address the age-long alienation of the South West in appointments into the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Ojogo, who is representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the exclusion of the South West, particularly Ondo State, had given credence to the long-held perception that the headship, especially the position of the NDDC’s Managing Director is the exclusive preserve of the South South States.
The immediate-past Information Commissioner is an Ijaw, the first Arogbo-Ijaw man to serve as Federal lawmaker in the National Assembly.
But while describing the situation as ‘disdainful and repulsive’, the lawmaker in a letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said, Section 12(1) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) (Establishment etc) Act, 2000 (hereinafter referred to as NDDC Act) provides that the positions of Managing Director, and two Executive Directors should rotate amongst member states.
“There shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director, and two Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with the member states of the Commission with the highest production quantum of oil and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production,” he quoted.
Ojogo appealed to the President to consider the contents and spirit of the NDDC Act by appointing an indigene of Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State as the next Managing Director of the NDDC.
He said the move would effectively erase the hitherto warped perception that South West does not have a right to the position of the MD except the South-South States that have continually appropriated the slot.
“The South West, whose representation providence has naturally placed on Ondo State is the Fifth in the production quota. Ondo State therefore, ought to have been considered for the position of MD even in the last Governing Board of the NDDC that has just been dissolved.
“In considering appointments into other positions such as Executive Director(s) and State Representative on the NDDC’s Governing Board, only indigenes of the oil-producing area should be appointed.
“The appointment of the last Executive Director (Projects) of the NDDC, Mr Ogunmola, an indigene of Owo Local Government Area from Ondo North Senatorial District, was in flagrant breach of the NDDC Act, 2000 even as amended.
“It was more curious that the 9th Senate under Senator Ahmad Lawan, GCON cleared Ogunmola despite the written protestations of Senators Robert Ajayi Borofice(North), Ayo Akinyelure (Central) and Nicholas Tofowomo (South) to that effect.
“Therefore, the behind-the-scene manoeuvring, manipulations and disinformation on the part of the now dissolved Governing Board of the NDDC, especially the immediate-past Managing Director and the two Executive Directors to perpetuate themselves should be disregarded and outrightly rejected.
“That beyond being an aberration, it is a calculated effort that has brazenly heaped injustice upon the South West, and in particular, the oil-producing ILAJE/ESE-ODO FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, ONDO STATE to the advantage of the South South States.
“It might interest Mr. President to know that I am an Ijaw man from Arogbo-Ijaw Kingdom in Ese-Odo Local Government Area, the first from my ethnic (Ijaw) clime to represent a preponderantly Yoruba (dominated) Federal Constituency in Ondo State. Providence has therefore bestowed upon me a great mandate not to merely represent those whose mandate I savour today.
“Succinctly, I owe the good people of the ONLY OIL-PRODUCING FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF THE SOUTH WEST a duty to defend their interest despite being the only Ijaw man in the National Assembly from the South West. This is a call to service with profound responsibilities.
“Mr. President, perceptions are said not to be facts; however, wrong, unrepudiated perceptions have the potency of being effectively rooted to serve as beacons for wrong decisions. This particularly, is the scenario in respect of the NDDC and its headship over the years. Simply put, the exclusion of the South West (symbolized by Ondo in this regard), can only give credence to the long-held perception that the headship, especially the position of the NDDC’s Managing Director is the exclusive preserve of the South South States. This is disdainful and repulsive.
“Unequivocally too, aside your Excellency’s Presidential aspiration vis a vis the battle for power shift to the South ahead of the 2023 election, the need to properly situate South West among the comity of oil-producing States has been the desire of my Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, CON in the last 18 months. As such, my position is in tandem with his avowed commitment to placing the South West region in her deserved place of honour and respect in Nigeria’s oil politics and permutations around the Niger Delta Region. Without prejudice to the established template for this struggle by Governor Akeredolu, my position is a mere reinforcement of the battle for Economic and Environmental Justice For South West
“To buttress my assertion with reference to the seemingly enthrenched breach of the NDDC Act, and to further aver that Ondo State, the 5th in production quota had been wickedly sidelined in deliberate breach and total disregard to established Laws, the following persons/ states(some repeatedly and back to back) have occupied the position of the Managing Director of the Commission since inception.
“It is clear that there has been a plot to shut out Ondo State despite its 5th position in the ladder of crude production output. But we are encouraged by Mr. President’s democratic posture that is unambiguous. Therefore, a timely intervention to stem further descend into abysmal lawlessness in the constitution of the next NDDC Board cum Management is most desirable. My position is strengthened more by Mr President’s understanding of the Rule of Law than the mere fact that he hails from the South West.”
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