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We’ll reposition NDDC, chairmanship nominee assures
Chairmanship nominee on the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Dr. Pius Odubu has assured that the incoming board if confirmed by the Senate will be committed to repositioning the commission for the benefits of the people of the region in particular and Nigerians in general.
Odubu, a former deputy governor of Edo State, spoke on Thursday when he appeared for screening before the National Assembly joint Committee on Niger Delta in Abuja.
He, however, pointed out that the plan could only be realised with the effort and support of the National Assembly joint Committee on NDDC.
“Looking at the calibre of people that Mr. President assembled to form this board this time around, I make bold to say that we intend to pursue aggressively to go accordingly to the core mandate of the NDDC Act.
“We will embark on aggressive and even development of the Niger Delta area. We also wish to adopt a new system, that is we shall go the stakeholders meet with them, talk to them, get to know what their needs are and not the commission deciding the needs of the community.
“So with we believe that the stakeholders will be carried along and you find out when the people are carried along you are bound to do well.
“We shall also engage in an aggressive monitoring by establishing a monitoring unit that will inspect every project of the commission to ensure that they delivered accordingly to specifics. We will ensure that we pass to the state representatives plans of every project of the commission and they will go on project inspection.
“We will also ensure that there is due process, probity and accountability. We intend to do a lot on human development based on increasing level of youth recessiveness in the region.
“This is because there so many cases of youth unemployment in the area and we will do everything within our power to ensure that the youths are employed. If we succeed the recessiveness will be brought to the barest minimum.
“I have implicitly confidence in God at he will help us to reposition the commission,” Odubu stressed.
President Muhammadu Buhari, had in a letter dated October 18, forwarded the list of nominees for the board and management of the NDDC.
Announcing the list during plenary on October 29, President of Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan directed the senate committee to conduct the screening of the nominees and report back in one week.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (PDP Delta North) had in his opening remark at the screening said the committee was mandated to screen the nominees by the senate.
Nwaoboshi urged the nominees to avoid being apprehensive in the screening exercise.
He said the senate would extend its tradition of asking the nominees who had legislative experience to be excused from questions.
Consequently, NDCC board chairman designate, Odubu and nominee for the post of Managing Director, Mr. Benard Okumagba, were excused from taking questions and were asked to take a bow in line with the tradition of National Assembly.
The nominee from Akwa Ibom, Mr. Otobong Ndem was also excused from taking questions from the committee, after Senator Rochas Okorocha (APC Imo West) suggested that he should be excused from taking questions given his legislative background.
The nominees that appeared for the screening included the Chairman, Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo), Managing Director, Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Executive Director Projects, Engr. Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom).
Executive Director Finance and Admin, Maxwell Okoh (Bayelsa); Delta State representative, Prophet Jones Erue; Mr Victor Ekhatar (Edo); Dr Joy Yimebe Nunieh (Rivers); and Nwogu Nwogu from Abia.
Others are Theodore Allison (Bayelsa); Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom); Maurice Effiwatt (Cross River), Olugbenga Elema (Ondo); Hon. Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo).
The nominee from Northwest Aisha Muhammed, representing from Kano was unavoidably absent at the screening as her screening would be conducted on a latter day.
Other nominees that appeared for the screening were Ardo Zubairu representing North East (Adamawa) and Southwest Representative Engr. Badmus Mutalib (Lagos).
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