NDDC Govs Angry over Appointment of Board without Consultation
Meet this week over appointments
There seems to be worries in the camp of the nine governors of the oil-producing states over Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), as they plan to meet this week to discuss the appointments of the members of the board of the Commission.
One of the governors, who spoke to THISDAY, said all things been equal, the governors may meet on Thursday, adding that their grudge with the
NDDC appointments was “lack of consultations before appointments.”
The governor, who does not want to be quoted, stated that when the NDDC governors met the president on October 17, the president promised to consult with them before the NDDC board would be constituted, stating that: “We are therefore surprised with the appointments without any consultations with anyone of us.
“President Muhammadu Buhari on October 17 at the
Presidential Villa in Abuja had a closed-door meeting with the nine governors of oil producing states-Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Abia, Imo and Ondo.
“It was at that meeting that he promised that there would be a forensic audit of the affairs of the NDDC since inception. He also promised to consult with us before the constitution of the NDDC board, but look at what has happened now. None of us was consulted.”
The governor said that the NDDC governors may meet Thursday this week to discuss the appointments as the appointments may threaten the peace of the region
The oil-producing state governors had resolved to meet President Buhari over his recent appointments into the NDDC board.
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, disclosed this while speaking with journalists after the governors met in August this year in Abuja.
Dickson said after the meeting, the governors of the oil producing states and different political parties met to discuss and review current developments and their concerns pertaining to the NDDC.
He said: “We are all unanimous of the view that we are concerned about the governance process in that very critical agency (NDDC).“We are aware of the general dissatisfaction in the Niger Delta region and in the various states. We are also concerned about the way and manner the recent appointments have been made.