Buhari appoints Interim Management Committee for NDDC

Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of a three-man Interim Management Committee to oversee the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)

The committee, with Dr Gbene Joi Nunieh as Acting Managing Director, will oversee the activities of the NDDC while the much talked about forensic audit of the commission goes on.

According to a statement by Patricia Deworiitse, Head, Press and PR of the ministry, the committee has Dr. Cairo Ojougboh as Acting Executive Director, Projects and Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang as the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, while performing the inauguration ceremony of the committee, said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the appointment of the three-man Interim Management Committee.

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According to the minister, the committee would be in place to create the necessary ambience for a hitch free forensic exercise, adding that the Inauguration of the Board Members would be put on hold until the forensic exercise is completed.

The Minister said that the forensic audit as ordered by Buhari would cover 18 years of NDDCs operations between 2001- 2019.

According to Akpabio, there would be 10 slots of auditing firms with each State assigned one while the NDDC Headquarters slot would be the coordinating slot.

The Minister urged the Interim Committee to discharge it’s duties effectively and efficiently without fear or favour, noting that the people of the Niger Delta region and indeed the whole country reposed confidence in them in overseeing the affairs of the Commission as an interventionist agency to work towards alleviating the plight of the people of the Niger Delta region.

According to Senator Akpabio, the Acting Managing Director Dr. Mrs Enyia Akwagaga had been directed to hand over to the new Interim Committee on Wednesday 30th October, 2019 by 10am.

Nunieh expressed appreciation to Buhari for the opportunity given to them to serve and assured that the team would not disappoint the President, people of the Niger Delta region and indeed the whole country in carrying out their mandate.