By Jonathan Ugbal
President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the interim administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Effiong Okon Akwa, from his post with effect from today, 20 October 2022, says a statement issued by the Director, Press in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Patricia Deworitshe.
The statement, titled; “NDDC Sole Administrator Relieved Of Appointment,” said Mr. Akwa was, “appointed Interim Administrator of the Commission for the duration of the Forensic Audit into the operations of the NDDC, which has now been concluded.”
Furthermore, the President has, “approved the constitution of a new Management Team and Governing Board of the NDDC in line with Section 5(2) of the NDDC Act, 2000. The names of the nominees for the new management team and Governing Board are to be transmitted to the National Assembly for approval,” the statement read.
The NDDC has been plagued with leadership issues since the exit of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba as board chairman and the management led by Nsima Ekere prior to the 2019 general elections.
Several Niger Delta groups have continuously agitated against the use of sole administrators and interim administrators which were described as “unconstitutional.”
It will be recalled that in August 2019, President Buhari nominated new board members who were never sworn in.
However, this changed in October 2019 when Dr. Joi Yimebe Nunieh was appointed as the administrator of the Commission. She was the head of the Interim Management Committee, IMC. She was sacked in February 2020 for insubordination following her reported spat with then Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The sack of Dr. Nunieh paved way for the appointment of Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei on February 19, 2020. the IMC was expanded to five members. But, allegations of corruption and a widely reported faint at the National Assembly also paved way for his sack on December 12, 2020, with Mr. Akwa, a member of the IMC who served as the acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Commission replacing him.