By Steve Seigha, Warri
National President of the Ijaw youths Council (IYC) world-wide, Barr. Pereotubo Oweilaemi has said that the composition of the new NDDC board does not follow due process as the provision of the NDDC establishment Act 2000 was turned upside. He clarified that in-inline with the NDDC act, it is the turn of Delta to produce the board chairman.
Barr. Oweilaemi disclosed in a electronic press statement, said ‘‘The appointment of the present management Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is fraught with illegality. The composition of the new Board is not in line with the provisions of the NDDC Establishment Act, 2000, especially section 4 of the Act.
‘‘The Act stated inter alia that the office of the Chairman shall rotate amongst the member States of the Commission in alphabetical order. From available records since the establishment of the Commission, this provision has been the guiding principle in the composition of the Board. Thus, Abia produced the first chairman in the person of Oyema Oguchukwu in 2001, followed by Akwa Ibom, Amb. Sam Edem, then Baylesa, Larry Konya and Dr, Timipa respectively, while Cross River got its turn with Bassy Ewa – Henshaw who was appointed by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. However, Senator Victor Ndoma -Egba, SAN who was appointed by Buhari in 2016 completed the State’s turn in the last management Board.
The next state to produce the chairmanship position according to the alphabetical order is Delta State. President Buhari skipped this time tested principle in flagrant violation of the extant law. We will not allow such illegality to fester. IYC will take all lawful steps to right the wrong. The MD position given to Delta State is a Greek gift. It is supposed to remain in Bayelsa State following the quantum of oil productions as provided by the NDDC Establishment Act’’ he stated.
Continuing ‘‘IYC still wants to reiterate the fact that no single ethnic group should dominate the appointments of the Commission in Delta State. By the present arrangement, only Urhobo ethnic group occupied the MD and the Commissioner representing Delta State in the NDDC Board positions. That is an aberration to all known legal norms including our Constitution.
‘‘For a very long time, the Ijaws have not occupied the management position in the Board. As the highest oil and gas producing ethnic group in the State, we cannot be allowed to be relegated to the background. We therefore request that the position of the chairman should be revised immediately and give it to Delta State. We also demand further that Ijaw person should be appointed as the Chairman of the Commission from Delta State because all the major ethnic groups excluding the Ijaw nation have produced members in the management board of the Commission in recent times.
‘‘One ethnic group should not dominate the board from Delta State at least for the sake of peace in the oil industry. IYC will stop at nothing within the confines of the law to achieve our demand. FG and all political players in the APC should thread with caution in order not to cause crisis in the oil sectors. A word is enough for the wise.’’ The statement further stated.
