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A group in Delta state, Niger Delta Advocate Initiative, NDAI, had laud President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment of Bernard Okumagba, as the new Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC,saying that the President choice for Okumagba is bone out of his love for professionalism, experience, integrity and competency.
In a release that was signed and made available to Newsmen by the Secretary of the group, Comrade Efe Courage, the group congratulates the Newly appointed board of the intervention agency, NDDC, urging all Niger Deltans including the governors from the region to rally round the new board with the needed support for them to succeed.
“Let us first thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari for nominating the Members of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC). Its shows you are aware that this is the key agency of development in the Niger-Delta region and that the sooner we get competent members onboard the sooner the region can move forward in the development agenda that the commission was created for.”
“We also want to use this medium to congratulate the nominated members of the board from the various states, but most especially the Managing Director in the person of Mr Bernard Okumagba. We strongly believe that your nomination was God sent and that your years of experience have prepared you for this moment.”
“Its widely known that there is a lot of talk as regards the list of nominated members to the Board of the NDDC, that some people believe that they should have been consulted first before the nomination of this Board and that the distribution of the positions to the various member state needs fine tuning.”
Quoting the act that establishes the NDDC, the group said the President has not committed any constitutional blunder in his choice of who to man the Commission.
“We also know that the most contested posts are those of the Managing Director and the Executive Directors of the Commission, but need I remind you that appointments are under the prerogative of the President and that the persons in question shall be indigenes of oil producing area and have such qualification and experience as are appropriate for a person required to perform the functions of the offices under the Act as seen in the Niger-Delta Development Commission (Establishment etc)Act 2000 .Act No 6 Part 4 1a-b.
“Using the nominee Bernard Okumagba as Managing Director as a case study; He hails from Warri South LGA of Delta State which makes him an indigene of an oil producing area. He is a Chartered Accountant with working experience in world renowned firm Arthur Andersen & Co (current KPMG). He is also a seasoned banker with over 15 years experience under his belt where he rose to the Senior Management level in that industry. He has also gained vast experience in governance as he served as Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget and was also reappointed as Commissioner of Finance in Delta State. He is currently the Chairman of various Companies and a Director in a Mortgage Bank, which makes him amply qualified to run the board as seen in NDDC(Establishment etc)Act 2000 .Act No 6 Part 4 ,12(1a-b,2a-c).
In response to the issues raised by the Niger Delta Governors, the group persuasively urged them to play their constitutional role as provided by the NDDC act.
“It will also interest you to know that the Governors of the Oil Producing State have no legal function in appointing the Board members, the only function provided by the NDDC Act is Advisory, charged with the responsibility of advising the Board and monitoring the activities of the Commission as enshrined in NDDC (Establishment etc)Act. 2000 Act No 6 Part 3 ;11″
“As the Niger-Delta people, our concern should be about the competency and character of the appointees void of being tactical to deny a legitimate son of the land for self aggrandisement and ethnic bigotry.”
“The development of our region should be foremost in our minds at all times, which cannot be achieved with the mentality that seem to prevail in our midst.”
“I enjoin all Niger Deltans to stand for all the especially Bernard Okumagba, as the Managing Director full support, so they can deliver the achievement template set for NDDC as a Commission . Infighting will make us weaker and we will never be able to get anything done in this region, let us unite behind the one we have and pray God grant us Grace to see Niger Delta become great and prosperous.”
