Members of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs yesterday rejected the nomination of Mr. Charles Ogunmola as the Executive Director (Projects) in the newly reconstituted board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The panel’s position was sequel to the petition written by the three federal lawmakers representing Ondo State in the Senate – Senators Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP Ondo South), Ayo Akinyelure (PDP Ondo Central) and Ajayi Boroffice (APC Ondo North).

The federal lawmakers made their joint position known after the petition, addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, was read during the screening of the new NDDC Board nominees by the Acting Chairman of the Senate Committee, Senator Amos Bulus.

The Ondo senators in their petition maintained that the Act of the National Assembly which established the NDDC had been breached with the nomination of Ogunmola, who is not an indigene of the oil producing area of the State.

They, therefore, urged Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to liaise with the paramount ruler of Ugbo Kingdom in the oil-rich Ilaje community of the state, Oba Frederick Akinruntan, and present an indigene from the area to President Muhammadu Buhari for appointment.

They argued that Ogunmola, who is an indigene of Owo town in the Ondo North Senatorial District was not qualified to hold the position based on the NDDC Act.

Speaking with journalists after the screening exercise, Senators Tofowomo and Akinyelure said their colleague, Boroffice who is from Ogunmola’s Senatorial District, signed the joint petition because he knows the implication, being the Deputy Leader of the Senate.

They expressed fears that there could be a breakdown of law and order in the oil bearing communities of Ondo State if Ogunmola was imposed on the state.

Tofowomo said, “In the last 22 years, Ondo State has not benefitted from any managerial position at the NDDC. Now they have recommended someone from Owo town, a non-oil producing area in the northern senatorial district of the state as executive director in charge of projects.

“Owo, from where crude oil is being produced in Ondo State is about 200 kilometres, hence the three senators from our state have therefore rejected the nominee.

“We are hereby appealing to the president to follow the NDDC Act. Section 1 (12) which stipulates that only people from the oil producing communities could be appointed. The only place oil is produced in Ondo State is Ilaje Local Government Area.

“If the president should insist on imposing Ogunmola on the people, the youths would shut down oil production in Ondo State and the government is by that, creating another war because people are hungry.”

Akinyelure on his part said, “The Ondo oil producing communities is under the paramount ruler of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Obateru Akinruntan.

“He should be consulted to forward a name to the relevant authorities for nomination as executive director in charge of projects”

Meanwhile, the Chairman-nominee for the NDDC, Lauretta Onochie said if confirmed, she would ensure the empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta.

She stated this at the screening of the 15 nominees for the board of the NDDC by the Senate Committee.

Onochie in her presentation said she would ensure that all the areas under Niger Delta got a fair deal.

She said, “Since the announcement of my nomination, I have received thousands of applications from our young people wanting to be personal assistants because that is all they know.

“We are going to show them that there is more to life than being a personal assistant. We are going to show them how to be properly empowered so that our region can start booming like all the other regions.

“I have seen the men that I have been nominated along with, we have been in contact with each other. We are going to work as a team because I am a team player.

“I hail from a community that produces all kinds of agricultural products that have not been properly harnessed.

“These are some of the things we will work on to be able to bring food to the table of our people and to empower our people,” Onochie said.

Reacting to the position made by the nominee, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele recalled that the appointment of the nominee had been turned down by the Senate.

He said, “On the nominee for the chairmanship position, when we had a reason to turn down the presidential nomination of this same nominee in the Senate, it was because the position for which she was nominated was for an electoral umpire.

“And there where members of the public who were concerned that because she is a card carrying member of a political party and a presidential aide, an active one, she was not the best person.

“And in the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, we took into cognisance the concern of the public.

“Today in the Senate, we are faced with a different scenario. She has been nominated as a representative from an oil producing state and for the purpose of holding a political appointment for which is eligibly qualified.

“That is our position and I wanted the public to be clear on this.”

On his part, Sen. James Manager (PDP-Delta) said, “this is one nominee we rejected on the floor of the Senate. We rarely reject nominees from the President but this was done.

“Now this person is here again before the senate. I want the public to know that this one is an isolated case.”

Senator Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) expressed pleasure over the reappointment of Onochie.

She said, “Nigerian women are particularly happy that the President did what he did by appointing a female; very capable woman to help this wonderful and relevant agency of Niger Delta.

“Whether we like it or not, where a woman comes in, her innate skills, her multitasking ability; I believe that for the first time Niger Delta will have the required development that they so much are in need of.”

However, some of the members said Onochie was not an indigene of an oil producing part of Delta which she hails from.

Sen. Seriake Dickson (PDP-Bayelsa) said the NDDC wasn’t just any other federal agency where appointments were just made.

“It is not anywhere you make nominations or appointments from anywhere based on competence or people you may know.

“The NDDC Act recognises development concerns and issues of inclusion by the oil producing communities which has been a causative factor of the unrest in that area.

“That is why the law was crafted that way, and it is important that the president or those advising him who are in charge of the nomination must comply with the NDDC Act with respect to the involvement of the people from the oil-producing areas.

“In fact, what the act stated is indigenes of oil producing areas or communities.”

Senate Chief Whip, Sen. Uzor Kalu, said “We need to be more guided. We had in the past appointed a Chairman from our state that is not from the local government where they produce oil, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu. And nobody can tell us to reject this one (Onochie).”

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Amos Bulus Amos said for over 10 years, the NDDC did not have a substantive board.

He urged the nominees if confirmed to ensure that the purpose for which the NDDC was established was achieved.

Apart from Onochie and Ogunmola, others who appeared before the panel for screening were, Dimgba Erugba, representing Abia State, Dr. Emem Willcox Wills ( Akwa Ibom), Elder Denyanbofa Dimaro (Bayelsa State), Hon. Orok Duke (Cross River) and Dr. Pius Odudu ( Edo State).

They also included, Engineer Anthony Ekenne, (Imo State), Hon. Gbenga Edema (Ondo State), Elekwachi Dimkpa (Rivers State), Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar, ( Nasarawa State, representing North-Cenral zone), Alhaji Sadiq Sami Sule – Ikoh ( Kebbi State, North-West) and Prof. Tahir Mamman SAN, (Adamawa State, North-East) and Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (rtd) from Edo State as the (Executive Director, Finance)

Chief Samuel Ogbokwu, from Bayelsa State, the Managing Director, who would serve for a term of two years, in order to complete the term of his predecessor in office was also screened. (THISDAY)

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