….Jonathan, Amaechi Rift Erupts on Senate Floor
… Mark, Senators Bemoan NDDC’s Failure
SAN FRANCISCO, December 04, (THEWILL) – The Senate waded off local politics on Wednesday to confirm the appointment of the new board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The confirmation was however without the names of the Chairman, Oil Producers Trade Section (an oil companies consortium), Mark Ward and the Ondo and Edo states representatives on the list.
Also, the senators by-passed their internal rules to confirm nominees to represent Rivers State on the board.
Also Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta, James Manager, told Senators that the nominee from Edo State had not completed his tenure while the confirmation request for the Ondo State nominee was only submitted on Tuesday. He added that both names and that of the Oil Producers Trade Section would be cleared whenever they are screened.
The nominees cleared by the Senate included, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, (Cross River) as Chairman; Bassey Dan Abia, (Akwa Ibom) as Managing Director; Dr Itotenaan Henry Ogiri, (Rivers) as Executive Director (Finance and Administration) and Tuoyo Omatsuli (Delta), as the Executive Director (Projects).
Others are, Turofade Oyarede (Bayelsa); Ephraim Sobere Etete(Rivers); Etim Inyang Jnr (Akwa Ibom); Adah Paul Andeshi (Cross River); Tom Amioku (Delta); Samuel Okezie Nwogu (Abia); Uchegbu Chidiebere Kyrian (Imo); Maj. Gen Suleiman Said (Niger, North Central); Alhaji Abdumalik Mahmud (Bauchi, North East).
The confirmation notwithstanding, the Senate unanimously agreed that the nominees were eminently qualified academically and had adequate cognate administrative experiences but lamented that the NDDC had failed in its mandate since it was created.
The Senate President, David Mark, blasted the NDDC management for failing in its interventionist mandate for the oil producing Niger Delta area. Mark lamented that the commission over the years has completely failed to perform and urged the Senate committee to take its oversight functions seriously.
“I remember that the last time we passed the NDDC budget here, all of us without exception condemned the fact that they were not performing and we prayed then that they will perform and I think the committee has not really supervised them well.
“You must now put your foot down that the Niger Delta Development Commission performs and the president should not hesitate to remove them if they don’t show that they truly can perform within the next few months because every time we have all the complaints from the Niger Delta that the commission is not performing.
“They are indulging in too many irrelevant projects, projects that have no meaning and impact on the livelihood of the Niger Delta people.I hope that this new board having been approved very quickly by the senate will also reciprocate by performing properly.
“I, once again, on behalf of the senate, congratulate the chairman, who is one of our own and the members of the commission,” he said.
The confirmation came on a day the rift between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, reared its head at the Senate.
Some Senators were earlier said to be divided on the approval of the two NDDC board nominees from Rivers State. In separate petitions, Senators Magnus Abe and Wilson Ake (both staunch loyalists of Governor Amaechi) from Rivers State opposed the confirmation of the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Itotenaan Henry Ogiri.
Senator Ake in rejecting Ogiri’s confirmation said Rivers State should be allowed to present its nominees because the appointment was done without the input of the leadership of the state.
But the Senate President warned against sacrificing competence, on the altar of state politics.
“The origin of Senators disagreeing with nominees started when Senators complained here that there was no reference to them at all in getting nominees and governors were bringing nominees who had total disrespect for senators that was the basis”, he explained.
Contributing, the Senate Deputy Leader, Abdul Ningi, said, “I believe that the two Senators can object to nominations but their objection must be legal, constitutional and logical. Personal issues about nominees should not be allowed to affect the chances of legally and legitimately qualified candidates.”
Also Senator Bashir Garba-Lado noted that at the committee level, “we did a thorough scrutiny and found the nominees very qualified. We have the curriculum vitae of the two nominees from Rivers. Let us do away with issues of local politics and consider merit.”
Senator Ahmed Lawan, said “the nominees were eminently qualified. The NDDC had performed abysmally in the past hence the committee should do proper oversight instead of chasing contracts. The man at the centre of the controversy was caught in the political web.”
In her contribution, Senator Nenadi Usman noted that “the nominees from Rivers are very qualified,” saying “We should not sacrifice competence and performance on the altar of local politics looking at their qualifications and experience ”
The Vice-Chairman of the committee, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi, cautioned against politicising the development of the Niger Delta because of local intrigues.
BY EMMA UCHE, ABUJA
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