The Nigerian Senate has tasked its committee on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to liaise with the newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Barrister Boss Mustapha, to look into the alleged illegal renewal of the tenure of the present board of the Commission.

The Upper Chamber decided to jettison a draft resolution to probe the circumstances leading to the renewal of the tenure of the board and rather opted for dialogue with the office of the SGF to get more details on the matter, following an intervention from the Senate Leader Ahmed Lawal and the Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The Senate took the decision following deliberations on a motion titled, “The illegal extension of the tenure of the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)”, sponsored by Senator Emmanual Paulker representing Bayelsa Central.

Senator Paulker noted that contrary to the clear provisions of Section Five, Subsection Three of the NDDC Act, the tenure of the present board of the Commission headed by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has been illegally extended to four years by the immediate past Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Habiba Muda Lawal.

According to the Senator, “The present board of the commission was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to replace the one headed by Senator Bassey Henshaw.” He emphasised that the NDDC Act dictates that the board headed by Senator Ndoma Egba, will terminate in December 2017.

Paulker expressed worries that contravention of the NDDC Act portends grave danger to the relative peace currently enjoyed in the Niger Delta region.

The Senate hinged its decision on the positive signal from the office of the new SGF Boss Mustapha, who has shown interest in working with the National Assembly?

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