The federal government on Wednesday inaugurated the Niger Delta Development Commission's Governing Board after more than three years of back-and-forth (NDDC).
Mrs Lauretta Onochie, a former advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari, serves as the new board's chairman. Chief Samuel Ogbukwu serves as the board's managing director.
The inauguration, which will take place just a few months before the Buhari Administration's term ends, has been marred by a number of crises and ongoing legal disputes before the Federal High Court.
Mr Umana Umana, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, inaugurated the board in Abuja and asked it to get started right away by following the advice in the Report of the Forensic Audit of the Commission completed in 2019.
Umana specifically instructed the board to investigate "all claims of irregular employment from 2019 and follow up on the ongoing personal audit in the Commission to ensure that all cases of employment during the period under review were in compliance with the service's then-current rules and regulations."
The minister also emphasised that in order to ensure prudent administration of scarce resources, the board and management must rigorously abide by the procurement Act and financial laws.
“Every contract above the threshold of management is to be referred to the Ministerial Tender Board of the Federal Executive Council.
“Any breach of contract approval limits will attract severe sanctions”.
Umana, who encouraged members to focus on the completion of ongoing, advised them to shun the lure of the “award of spurious and indiscriminate new contracts”, so as to help in repairing the negative public perception of the NDDC.
In a remark, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, noted that the Inauguration of the new board would not have been possible without the collaboration of the National Assembly.
Mustapha, who was represented by a former Permanent Secretary, Mrs Habiba Lawal, accordingly charged members of the new board to bring all their expertise to bear to transform the lives and environment of the region.
He added that the board should endeavour to be transparent and follow due diligence in all its activities so as to restore the hope and resilience of the Niger Delta people in the Commission.
Meanwhile, the new Chairman of the board, Ms Lauretta Onochie, has appealed to Nigerians especially people from the Niger Delta region to accord them the necessary support needed to deliver on their mandates.
She assured that the board has put in place a template for the speedy development of the socioeconomic development of the region.
While assuring of positive changes, Onochie noted that “we cannot continue to work with failed template and get a different result”.
She said, ” we are going to do things totally different so that the people of Niger Delta can benefit from what Nigeria has been investing in the region. In the past many investment in the Niger Delta have find its way to Abuja, London, Dubai and elsewhere “.
Onochie added that part of the new board’s goal is to change the narratives from the current situation where youths sought for Special Assistants (SAs) jobs to being employers of labour.
She added that the Buhari administration is committed to youth development and would do everything possible to equip youths in the region with necessary skills to compete with their peers from other climes.