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…urges Senate to confirm new board
…As HOSCON tells critics to leave Okumagba alone
A socio-political group, the Benin Movement for Change, BMC, has decried Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor for calling on the Nigeria Senate not to confirm the appointment of Dr. Pius Odubu and Mr. Benard Okumagba as Chairman and Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission respectively.
It urged the Senate to take the actions and call on the Senate not to confirm the appointment of Dr. Pius Odubu and Mr. Bernard Okumagba as that of a busy body, noting that both the Chairman designate and MD designate hail from oil producing areas of their respective states.
Speaking during a press conference in Benin City recently, the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Edogiawere Igbinosa, stated that Lori-Ogbebor may be an in-law to the Binis but that does not confer on her the right or audacity to talk about who is qualified for federal appointment from Edo or Delta States.
He urged the Senate not be swayed by the cries of busy bodies like Lori-Ogbebor, adding that it was surprising that she could offer herself to be used to work against the interest of Edo state and Delta state.
He said: “We are taken aback by comments credited to one Rita Lori-Ogbebor asking the Senate not to confirm the nomination of our illustrious son, Dr. Pius Odubu, a former Deputy Governor of Edo State.
“For the information of the public, Dr. Odubu is eminently qualified for the position of Chairman of the Board of the NDDC. He hails from Orhionmwon local government area that housed the largest gas reserve in West Africa.
“We, in Edo, are in support of the nomination and it is our turn to produce Chairman of the NDDC Board since it is done on rotational basis among the oil producing states.
“The Senate should not be swayed by the cries of a busy body from Delta State. They should confirm the nomination of Dr. Odubu.
“Edo people and other states are happy with Odubu because they know good days are here.”\
Meanwhile, the Host Communities of Nigeria (HOSCON) has reacted to what it termed a media campaign against the new Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board appointment, urging such critics to leave Olorogun Bernard Okumagba, the recently appointed Managing Director, alone.
Okakuro Monday Whiskey, HOSCON’s National Director, Media and Publicity, in a recently, said it was becoming clearer that those fighting against the new NDDC board appointment either have something to hide or something they had not told Nigerians.
He maintained that it was a well-established fact that it was the turn of Delta State to produce the agency’s Managing Director and that the Urhobo ethnic nationality of Delta Central and by extension their brothers of Delta South Senatorial District were major producers of crude oil.
The area, he stressed, was richly blessed with huge natural gas resources as could be seen from Otorogun gas plant in Ughelli South, the second largest gas plant in Africa.
