Oil Communities Decry Marginalisation in NDDC Board Appointments

James Sowole in Akure

As controversy rages over appointments into Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), oil producing communities in Ondo State have decried the composition of the board, describing it as a subversion of the Act that established the commission.

The communities, under the umbrella of Justice Council of the Oil Producing Communities, noted that the federal government, despite frequent agitations, has refused to abide by the Act.

Specifically, the group decried the action of the federal government, which appointed the managing director and chairman of the board from Edo and Delta states respectively.

The group also lamented that nobody from Ondo State has ever been considered for the post of Executive Directors in the NDDC since its creation.

The Permanent Secretary (General Services), Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Olusegun Adekunle, had announced the 16-man new Board of NDDC with Dr. Pius Odubu from Edo State as Chairman while Bernard Okumagba from Delta State was made the Managing Director.

The group, in a protest letter by its spokesperson, Mr. Segun Odolo, and sent to the Presidency, decried the marginalisation of the Sunshine State despite her position in oil production and provision of the NDDC on appointments.

Odolo said: “The Establishment Act paragraphs 4 and 12 stipulate that the position of chairman and managing director shall be rotated among the member states on alphabetical order for the chairmanship and managing director on quantum of production.”

He said consequent upon the rotation order as contained in the Act, it’s the turn of Ondo State to produce the managing director of the commission this time around. He added that denying Ondo State the opportunity to produce the managing director was an injustice to the oil producing communities in Ondo State and its entire citizens.

“Since the setting up of the commission in 2000 by the regime of President Olusegun Obasanjo, no Ondo State person has been privileged to occupy the position of the managing director against the rotational arrangement.

“While Ondo State was denied the opportunities of becoming the chairman and managing director, some states had occupied the positions on two occasions.

“As the fifth largest producer behind Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states, who have taken their turns, it is the turn of Ondo State to occupy the position of the managing director of the interventionist agency.

“It is an indisputable fact that Ondo State is fifth highest oil producing state in the country. The agitation by some fifth columnist to circumvent the perpetual control of the board this time around against the law that establishes NDDC, absolutely runs foul of the next level policy of President Buhari,” the group said.