The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday confirmed appointments of Lauretta Onochie, Special Assistant on New Media to President Muhammadu Buhari as Chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The Senate also confirmed Managing Director, Executive Directors and members of the Commission.
This comes as the upper legislative chamber demanded for the forensic report carried out on the commission by the presidency.
Indeed, confirmation of appointments of 13 out of the 15 Presidential nominees for the Board by the Senate, was sequel to adoption of recommendations made to that effect by the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs which was however kicked against by some Senators.
Senators who raised objections to confirmation of some of the appointees like Lauretta Onochie as Chairman of the Board and Charles Ogunmola as Executive Director ( Project), were Seriake Dickson ( PDP Bayelsa West ) and Nicholas Tofowomo ( PDP Ondo South).
Senator Dickson in his objection to Onochie and some other nominees alleged not to come from oil producing areas, said bad precedents should not be laid with such confirmation.
“In as much as we want the NDDC Board re – constituted for efficient and effective performance of the commission as far as development of Niger Delta Region is concerned, we should not allow violation of the extant laws of the commission in anyway.
“Some of the nominees already screened and recommended for confirmation by the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, are not from oil producing areas which are clear violations of relevant provisions of the NDDC Act.
“Aside that, one of the nominees from Ondo State whose appointment was kicked against by the entire three senators from the State, is also listed for confirmation”, he queried.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan who quickly interrupted him, told him to talk for himself and not other senators.
Making similar objection, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo said for the report presented by acting Chairman of the Committee, Senator Amos Bulus ( APC Gombe South), not containing objections raised by the entire three Senators from Ondo State against the South West nominee ( Charles Ogunmola), shows that justice was not done on the screening.
“The Acting Chairman of the Niger Delta Affairs Committee did not do justice to the report submitted for consideration and approval by the Senate today.
“Objections raised against one of the nominees ( Charles Ogunmola ) who is from Ondo State by the entire three senators from the State are not reflected and very unjustifiable”, he said.
But the President of the Senate subtly ignored him by calling on the Majority Leader, Senator Ibrahim Gobir to move for committee of the whole where all the nominees except two who were absent from screening, were confirmed .
The two absentees whose appointments were not confirmed, were Dr Pius Odudu from Edo State and Engr Anthony Okanne from Imo State.
The President of the Senate shortly after confirmation of Onochie and 12 others said: “These confirmed Chairman and members of the NDDC board should hit the ground running. So much time has been lost. I believe that from now till when their tenure will expire, they have a lot of work to do.
“The NDDC as we all know is an interventionist agency created by government in year 2000.
“For those that will take over the mantle of leadership, please let’s really see the NDDC as a development institution rather than a cash cow. The new management should ensure that the communities this institution is supposed to work for real benefit from its existence and the resources.
“I also want to ask the Executive Arm of Government to send us the result of the Forensic Audit report. Let us see what the forensic audit report contains because the Forensic Audit has taken a toll on the NDDC itself.
“Most of the time the argument was that there should not be a management in place until the Forensic Audit is over. Now that the Forensic Audit is over, we want to see what the outcome is and the best place to bring it to is the National Assembly” he said.
