The Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Communities Forum has called for the timely inauguration of the newly constituted board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, to expedite the transformation of the region.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the forum’s Chairman, Chief Mulade Sheriff from Delta State and the Secretary, Honourable Goodness Gereghewei from Bayelsa State.
The statement made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State on Thursday congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his electoral victory and also appreciated his magnanimity for nominating the NDDC Board members across the member states, in accordance with the NDDC Act 2000.
“Many thanks for this timely act to reposition the Commission on the right track to attract development to our Oil and Gas Producing Communities in the region,” the group said.
The statement read partly, “We appeal to Mr President to kindly consider the constitution of the board as a matter of urgency and forward the nominees list to the Senate for screening/confirmation so that the Board could be fully represented by all the member States for effective delivery of development in the Region.
“However, since the Senate was on recess, nothing much has been done in that regard, and we expected that screening and confirmation of the NDDC nominees would be the first set of nominees to be screened and confirmed.
“We wish to strongly appeal to Mr President to kindly, as a matter of utmost importance, urge the Senate to screen and confirm these nominees for appointment to avoid a replay of nightmarish experience.
“It must be put on record that it’s still fresh on our minds when sole administrators and acting Managing Directors of the Commission, which in turn deprived the people of development and economic growth in the region.
“Finally, we further wish to commend Mr President for picking some of the best brightest as nominees on the new NDDC Board are persons of good reputations and integrity”.
