Pondei appointed NDDC Ag MD as Buhari expands committee

Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the enlargement of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from three to five.

He has sacked Dr Joi Nunieh as head, Interim Management Committee (IMC), appointed on October 29, 2019.

She has been replaced with Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, who is the Ag Managing Director.

Buhari had three weeks ago written to the Senate, promising to send a fresh list of nominees for the board of the NDDC.

The President had said he put on hold the inauguration of the new board of the NDDC to enable the interim management committee of the agency to conclude its current forensic auditing.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said in a statement that the committee now has five members.

“The five members of the committee are now: Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, who is the Ag. Managing Director, replacing Barrister Joi Nunieh; Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Ag. Executive Director (Projects); Mr Ibanga Bassey Etang, Ag. Executive Director (Finance and Administration); Mrs Caroline Nagbo (Member); and Cecilia Bukola Akintomide, a former Vice President with African Development Bank, (Member).

“Prof K D Pondei, the new Ag. Managing Director is a Professor of Medicine at the Niger Delta University, and former Provost, College of Health Sciences of the institution.

“President Buhari had earlier approved that the Interim Management Committee would be in place till the forensic audit of the NDDC was concluded.”

Recall that the nominees on the NDDC board confirmed by the Senate in November last year and put on hold are Dr Pius Odubu, Chairman; Bernard Okumagba (Delta), Managing Director; Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), Executive Director of Projects; Maxwell Oko (Bayelsa), Executive Director of Finance and Administration; Jones Erue (Delta); Victor Ekhator (Edo); Nwogu N Nwogu (Abia) and Theodore Allison (Bayelsa).

Others are Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom), Maurice Effiwat (Cross River), Olugbenga Edema (Ondo), Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo), Aisha Muhammed (North West); Shuaibu Zubairu (North East) and Abdullahu Bage (North Central).