The Senate, yesterday, confirmed the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as the Chairperson, Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The lawmakers also confirmed 12 others following the screening of the nominees conducted last Friday at the National Assembly complex.
They include Dimga Erugba (Abia); Dr Emem Willcox (Akwa Ibom); Dimaro Denyanbofa (Bayelsa); Orok Duke (Cross River); Dr. Pius Odudu (Edo); Anthony Ekenne, (Imo); Gbenga Edema (Ondo); and Elekwachi Dinkpa (Rivers).
Others are Mohammed Abubakar (Nasarawa); Sule-Iko Sani (Kebbi); and Prof. Tahir Mamman (Adamawa)
Samuel Ogbuku (Bayelsa), who will serve as the Managing Director for a term of two years; Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) (Edo), Executive Director of Finance; and Charles Ogunmola (Ondo), as Executive Director of Projects.
The Senate confirmation during plenary was despite criticisms that trailed some of the nominees her nomination, particularly of Onochie, who was the plenary the President’s Special Assistant on New Media.
The confirmation followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on the Niger Delta.
The lawmakers however stepped down the confirmation of two nominees – Pius Odubu and Anthony Okanne, who failed to appear for screening.
The Acting Chairman of the committee, Bulus Amos, who presented the report to the Senate, said the nominees possessed the requirements to be on the NDDC Governing Board.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in November requested the Senate to confirm the appointment of 15 nominees for the NDDC, which elicited contrary arguments among the lawmakers.
Specifically, Seriake Dickson advised that a clause be added to the NDDC Act, to ensure that future presidents nominated people from oil-producing areas to head the Commission.
On his part, Nicholas Tofowomo complained that the petition written by the three Ondo lawmakers who support the nomination was ignored by the committee.
…the nominees possessed the requirements to be on the NDDC Governing Board.
