The Itsekiri Consultative Forum (ICF) has stated that the Federal Government would meet them in court over the nomination of the board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
A statement made available to newsmen in Warri, on Wednesday, by Prince Emma Okotie-Eboh, Chairman and Comrade Ameachi Ogbonna, Secretary, argued that NDDC has been turned into a cash cow for politicians by constituting the board in the heat of political parties’ campaigns for the 2023 general elections.
They queried the nomination of the wrong person from non-oil producing areas to the critical positions of chairman and managing Director, noting that the Federal Government violated the Act’s provisions establishing the commission by not adhering to the oil production quantum principle.
The Warri Consultative Forum further reinstated their call that the interim chairman, Engr. Emmanuel Ohwavborua should be allowed to manage the affairs of the NDDC until after the 2023 general elections to give it a sense of direction and to focus on its core mandate to the oil-bearing states and communities.
They specifically maintained that it is the turn of Delta state to produce the Chairman and Managing Director as provided for in the Act setting up the Commission, noting that by oil production quantum, the Itsekiri ethnic nationality is the highest in Delta state and therefore should produce the Managing director and not the other way round saying “that is why among others reasons we shall drag the Federal Government to Court” they explained.
While expressing dismay over the list of nominees for both positions by President Muhammadu Buhari as presented to the Senate for confirmation, they admonished distinguished Senators to be very wary of the nominees as it clearly violates the requirements required of any persons to be so nominated as Chairman or Managing director.
“How can a Lauretta Onochie from a non-oil producing area of Delta State be appointed Chairman of the NDDC board and someone from Bayelsa whose turn has not come, be nominated as the Managing Director while the Itsekiri whose turn it is, is now left unattended to,” the group queried.