President Buhari speaks on NDDC interim management board

 

The controversy surrounding the Interim Management Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) may have been put to rest.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission will be recomposed and inaugurated after the forensic audit of the organisation, according to a State House statement on Thursday.

“The President has also directed that the Interim Management Team of the NDDC shall be in place till the forensic is completed and that the supervision of the Commission shall remain under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs”, the statement signed by Buhari’s media aide, Mr Femi Adesina, said.

The Senate had directed the still-born board of the NDDC to take over the management of the commission, after members nominated by the President had been confirmed, following a request to the Senate by the President for their confirmation.

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Controversy had dogged the appointment of an interim board by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to oversee a forensic audit of the commission as directed by the President.

The upper legislative arm had vowed not to have anything to do with the NDDC interim management and subsequently directed its committee on NDDC not to entertain budget defence with the IMB.

President Buhari’s latest proclamation may have effectively shut the door against the Senate approved board of the NDDC.