The newly inaugurated Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been charged by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana, to key into a new template of development adopted by the federal government.
The Minister who made the demand during the inauguration of the NDDC in Abuja said the board is expected to implement the recommendations of the report of the forensic audit as well as look into the allegations of employment irregularities in the NDDC.
According to him, “The tasks before the New Board shall include a faithful implementation of the recommendations of the report of the Forensic Audit.
“Besides the findings of the Forensic Audit, Government has received numerous petitions alleging irregularities in employment in the Commission.
“The New Board will have to look into these allegations of irregular employment from 2019 and follow up on the ongoing personnel audit in the Commission to make sure that all cases of employment during the period under review were in accordance with extant rules and regulations of the Service.
“The white paper or the findings of that audit will be issued very soon. The primary responsibility of this board will be to implement the recommendations of that audit. The whole idea is to reposition the NDDC for better performance. We want to move away from the era where contracts were awarded indiscriminately without due process being followed, the era of contract splitting and that is why we have emphasised the need to be very strict with the provisions of the procurement Act.
“And I also pointed out that any breach of the provisions of the Act procurement act will be appropriately sanctioned and we are very serious about this.”
Umana stressed that he will not rest on his oars to make a difference through Federal Government’s intervention in the Niger Delta, and that we would reposition the NDDC and put it on the path to effective execution of its mandate for the wholesome and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region, adding that the board members are expected to transform the Niger Delta region into a regional economic hub.
The new Chairman of the Board of the Commission, Lauretta Onochie, pledged to use their tenure to bring about an era in the region where violence would be curbed and ecological problems reduced.
