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Buhari Sacks NDDC Administrator, Names New Mgt Team, Governing Board …Names Audu-Ohwavborua Acting MD …N’Delta Elders Kick
President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Effion Okon Akwa. Akwa’s dismissal was with immediate effect.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, the Director of Press, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Patricia Deworitshe, said the President also approved the constitution of a new Management Team and Governing Board of the NDDC, in line with section 5(2), of the NDDC Act; 2000.
“The names of the nominees for the new management team and Governing Board are to be transmitted to the National Assembly for approval,” the statement said.
The statement with the title ‘NDDC sole administrator relieved of his appointment’ reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the disengagement of the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Effiong Okon Akwa, from his post with effect from today, October 20,2022.
“Mr Akwa was appointed interim administrator of the Commission for the duration of the Forensic Audit into the operations of the NDDC, which has now been concluded.
“President Buhari has also approved the constitution of a new Management Team and Governing Board of the NDDC in line with section 5(2) of the NDDC Act, 2000. The names of the nominees for the new management team and Governing Board are to be transmitted to the National Assembly for approval.”
However, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, appointed a new Managing Director, Engr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, for the Niger Delta Development Commission.
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, the appointment is in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive managing director.
The statement said, “Sequel to President Muhammad Buhari’s approval of the disengagement of the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission from his position, the President has further approved that the most senior director in the commission should take over the running of the affairs of the commission in line with the Federal Government Circular dated December 4, 2017, with Ref. No. 50/S./C.2/268, pending the appointment of a substantive Managing Director and members of the Governing Board.
“Accordingly, Engr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua (FNSE) will perform the duties of the Managing Director in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive Managing Director and members of the Governing Board.”
Reacting to the president’s decision, the Niger Delta Elders’ Forum (NDEF), again, aligned with what it described as the “legitimate demands of Niger Delta authentic stakeholders” to urge President MuhammaduBuhari to “comply with the law setting up NDDC and inaugurate the substantive board to manage the commission for the benefit of the people of the nine Niger Delta states.”
In a statement by its National President, Chief TonyeOgbogbula, it stated that “the most salient issue that the authentic stakeholders of the Niger Delta has consistently demanded, and which the President also made commitments on is to end the illegal interim management/sole administratorship at the NDDC and inaugurate the board of the commission upon receipt of the forensic audit, in compliance with the law.”
According to the group, Buhari made the commitment “to the nation on June 24, 2021, when he received the leadership of Ijaw National Congress (INC) in Aso Rock, Abuja,” and re-affirmed the commitment in his “recent announcement, on July 28, 2022, that the board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will soon be inaugurated,” thereby restating his “commitment to end the ongoing illegal sole administratorship at the NDDC and inaugurate the board of the commission in compliance with the law.”
The forum’s statement read in full, “In tandem with the legitimate demands of Niger Delta authentic stakeholders, we again urge President MuhammaduBuhari to comply with the law setting up NDDC and inaugurate the substantive board to manage the commission for the benefit of the people of the nine Niger Delta states.
“The most salient issue that the authentic stakeholders of the Niger Delta has consistently demanded, and which the President also made commitments on is to end the illegal interim management/sole administratorship at the NDDC and inaugurate the board of the commission upon receipt of the forensic audit, in compliance with the law, and which commitment he made to the nation on June 24, 2021 when he received the leadership of Ijaw National Congress (INC) in Aso Rock, Abuja.
“Following the recent announcement, on July 28, 2022, by President MuhammaduBuhari that the board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will soon be inaugurated, he also restated his commitment to end the ongoing illegal sole administratorship at the NDDC and inaugurate the board of the commission in compliance with the law.
“President Buhari restated his commitment to inaugurate the NDDC Board on July 28, 2022 while declaring open a retreat for management of the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and NDDC at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.
“We also recall that he had earlier made a commitment to the nation on June 24, 2021 when he received the leadership of Ijaw National Congress (INC) in Aso Rock, Abuja. The President said: ‘‘Based on the mismanagement that had previously bedevilled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021. I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted, the NDDC Board will be inaugurated.’
“The forensic audit report has been submitted to President MuhammaduBuhari over a year ago, on September 2, 2021. Regrettably, the NDDC which is the foremost Niger Delta regional development agency and which was set up to right the wrongs in the Niger Delta is still being run by a sole administrator appointed in breach of the NDDC Act.
“President MuhamnaduBuhari had forwarded to the Senate for confirmation the appointment of a board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) via a letter dated October18, 2019.
“Specifically, President Buhari in the letter sought the Senate’s confirmation for Dr Pius Odubu (Edo) as chairman of the NDDC Board, Chief Bernard Okumagba (Delta) as managing director, EngrOtobongNdem (AkwaIbom) as executive director, projects, and Maxwell Oko (Bayelsa) as executive director, finance and administration. Others listed in the President’s letter of to the Senate included Prophet Jones Erue, representing Delta State, Chief Victor Ekhalor (Edo), Nwogu N Nwogu (Abia), Theodore A. Allison (Bayelsa), Victor Antai (AkwaIbom), Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River), OlugbengaEdema (Ondo), Hon UchegbuChidiebereKyrian representing Imo State.
“The rest are Aisha Murtala Mohammed from Kano State, representing North-West, ShuaibArdoZubairu from Adamawa representing North-East, and AmbAbdullahi M.Bage from Nasarawa representing North-Central, on the board, respectively.
“The president’s letter personally signed by him reads: ‘In accordance with the provision of Section 2(2)(a) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) (Establishment) Act, 2000, I write to forward, for confirmation by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the under listed nominees for appointment into the NDDC board, to occupy the positions indicated against their names.’
“President Buhari, in the letter, expressed hope that ‘the Senate will consider and confirm the nominees in the usual expeditious manner’.
“Accordingly, the written request, which was read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 by its President, Dr Ahmad Lawan, was given expeditious consideration by the upper legislative chamber, which directed its standing committee on NDDC, to carry out screening exercise on all the nominees and report back within a week.
“The Senate’s standing committee carried out the screening exercise on 15 out of the 16 nominees on Thursday, October 31, 2019, upon which the Senate in Plenary confirmed their appointments on November 5, 2019.
“However, after the nominees were screened and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on the 5th of November, 2019, President Buhari asked that the inauguration of the board should be put on hold pending the completion of the forensic audit, for which an Interim Management Committee was appointed for the NDDC.
“The forensic audit report has been submitted to President MuhammaduBuhari over a year ago, on September 2, 2021. Regrettably, the NDDC which is the foremost Niger Delta regional development agency and which was set up to right the wrongs in the Niger Delta is still being run by a sole administrator appointed in breach of the NDDC Act.
“President MuhammaduBuhari had already nominated a Board for the NDDC in October 2019 whose members were vetted by all relevant agencies of the Federal Government following which they were screened and confirmed by the Nigerian Senate on November 5 2019. They are waiting to be inaugurated. Mr President has restated his intention to inaugurate the board on the completion of the forensic audit, which commitment he restated on Thursday, July 28, 2022 while declaring open a retreat for management of the ministry of Niger Delta affairs and NDDC at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja.
“We, therefore, urge President Buhari to inaugurate the board and management of the commission, in compliance with the law to ensure that the nine constituent states of the region will have fair and equitable representation in the commission in line with the NDDC Act 2000 which brought the interventionist agency into existence and made it mandatory for the President to appoint a board and management for the commission, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
“We align with other authentic stakeholders to restate that the preservation of a sole administrator or an interim administration in the management of the commission is not only a breach of the NDDC Act 2000 but an affront on the long-deprived people of the region who have had to endure three years of the foremost agency being arbitrarily run in breach of the law – the NDDC Act and in utter disregard of their need and the region’s development.
“We also wish to remind President Buhari, the Federal Government, and indeed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that the continued administration of the NDDC by a sole administrator is illegal because the NDDC Act has no provision for this illegality as the NDDC Act only provides that the Board and Management of the NDDC at any point in time should follow the provisions of the law which states that the board and management is to be appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate. In effect, nobody is supposed to begin to administer the NDDC and utilise the huge funds accruing to it on a monthly basis without passing through this legal requirement as stipulated in the NDDC Act.
“We also remind President Buhari and the Federal Government that whereas the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has been allowed to function with its duly inaugurated board (since May 2019) in line with the NEDC Act, thereby guaranteeing proper corporate governance, accountability, checks and balances, and fair representation of its constituent states, the NDDC on the other hand has been arbitrarily managed in the past three years by interim administrations/sole administrator, in flagrant violation of the law establishing the commission.
“As stakeholders in the Niger Delta region we align with other credible voices in the region to emphasise that the Federal Government, President Buhari, and indeed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), should be concerned about the disdain of the Niger Delta people over the manner the NDDC has been handled, most especially administering the commission with illegal interim managements/sole administrator contraptions for five years in this administration’s seven years in office, and therefore needs to end the ongoing illegality in NDDC if this government is to be remembered for good in the Niger Delta.
“All stakeholders are now awaiting the earnest inauguration of the NDDC Board appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate since November 2019 in line with the NDDC Act to ensure fair representation of the nine constituent states, accountability in the utilisation of the NDDC funds, checks and balances and due process in the administration of the commission”.
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Rivers Chief Judge Grants Six Inmates Pardon
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
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‘Fubara’s Administration Is Driving Transparent Public Procurement’
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
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NAPPS’ 19th Anniversary: Education Stakeholders Task Govt On Assistance
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.