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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has directed the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to withdraw the appointment of the three-man Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which he set up recently.
The House resolved to discontinue the consideration of the 2020 budget process of the Niger Delta Ministry, until Akpabio complies with the directive.
The House also resolved to urge the Senate to suspend work on the 2020 budget of Niger Delta Affairs ministry until Akpabio cancels the appointment of the NDDC interim management committee.
This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ossai Nicholas Ossai, under matters of urgent public importance at yesterday’s plenary.
Ossai, in his lead debate, informed the House that in October, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the operations and activities of the NDDC from 2001 to 2019.
He noted that on October 29, President Buhari through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced the appointment of 15 new members of the NDDC board and subsequently sent their names to the Senate for confirmation.
The lawmaker, however, stated that on the same October 29, the Niger Delta Affairs Minister announced the sack of the acting Managing Director of the agency and the appointment of a three-man Interim Management Committee, and directed them to manage the affairs of the NDDC for six months.
Ossai contended that the confirmation of the 15 NDDC board members sent to the Senate by the president in compliance with the act establishing the interventionist agency has rendered the Interim Management Committee null and void.
“The speed and curiosity with which the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs hurriedly set up a three-man Interim Management Committee is stunning end suspicious…
“Suffice to say that by the confirmation of the NDDC Governing Board members by the Senate, the three-man Interim Management Committee becomes vitiated, null and void and of no legal effect. “
He added that Section 8 of the NDDC Act stipulates that the management and administration of the commission shall be the responsibility of its governing board.
