The South East geopolitical zone was once again left out in President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s management framework. This time, the entire geopolitical zone was not represented in the new board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which assumed office on Monday at the Commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The new NDDC board, which has Victor Ndoma-Egba, immediate former Senate leader, as chairman, also has Nsima U. Ekere (from Akwa Ibom) as managing director/CEO; Ajenakevwe Samuel Adjogbe, executive director, projects; Derek Lenyie Mene, executive director, finance and administration.
The two South East oil producing states of Abia and Imo were said in a footnote of the list of the new board that “the National Assembly rejected representatives for Abia and Ondo states, while nominee from Imo State withdrew his nomination.
Nothing was said on when the zone’s representation would be rectified and included. During the takeover of baton by the new board at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, shouts of “no, no, no” greeted the mention of Abia and Imo
Other representatives according to the NDDC member states are: Frank Samuel George (Akwa Ibom), Brambaifa Nelson (Bayelsa), Sylvester Effefiom Nsa (Cross River), Ogaga Ifowodo (Delta), Uwuilekhue Saturday (Edo) and Harry Iboroma Dabibi (Rivers).
Meanwhile, the entire northern zones (North Central, North East and North West) and the Federal Ministry of Finance are represented by Bernard Banfa, Yahaya Mohammed, Mustapha Dankadai and Mahmoud Isa-Dutse. While Abdul-Kazeem Kasumi Bayero is representing the Federal Ministry of Environment.
On the other hand, representation for the international oil companies (IOCs) was said to be still under consideration by the National Assembly.
Igo Weli, a Shell Petroleum top official, is representing the Oil Producers Trade, was among the board members who took over. His nomination was said to be “currently undergoing screening” at the Senate.
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