President Muhammadu Buhari has, in a letter to the Senate, sought the confirmation of Lauretta Onochie, his special assistant on new media, as the substantive chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
This new appointment is coming about 18 months after Onochie’s nomination as a national commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was rejected by the Senate.
The upper legislative chamber had bowed to pressure from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), opposition parties led by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Nigerians, by refusing to confirm Onochie as an INEC National Commissioner.
The president’s nomination letter was read at the plenary session of the Senate by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, on Wednesday.
15 other nominees: Lawan also read out 15 other names that made the list of board members for the NDDC. The former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, and General Charles Airhiavbere are listed as members of the new board.
Soon after the list was read, the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, APC, Delta Central, however, protested that there was no representation from Delta State in line with the act establishing the NDDC that each state of the NDDC must have a representative, just as he pleaded with the Executive to correct the anomaly.
Lawan, however, promised that he would ensure that the Act was adhered to as he promised to take it in order not to delay the screening.
This is a developing story…
