Chief Charles Idahosa, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for an urgent investigation into the composition of a new Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board which was announced in August but dissolved by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

Speaking with Daily Independent, Idahosa, a former Commissioner for Information in Edo State said the situation was a great embarrassment to President Buhari who was not in the country when the list was announced and when it was submitted for confirmation.

He said there is a need for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the list so that the error does not occur again in the future.

His words “On the dissolution of the NDDC board by President Muhammadu Buhari, a panel must be set up to look into who gave Mr. President the advice which turned out to be an embarrassment to him. As far as I am concerned, the President has been thoroughly embarrassed by the situation”.

“First, the President was outside the country when the list was announced. Also, the President was not in the country when it was submitted for confirmation. I think somebody was playing smart to do things. If there is any major suspect involved in this, it is no other person than Adams Oshiomhole”.

“ He has committed a lot of atrocities such as lack of respect for the constitution of the party. He made use of the national assembly members to hurriedly confirm the members of the NNDC board”.

“So, the president must set up an investigation to find out how this thing happened because even a primary school pupil will know that the names were in alphabetical order. How did the names come in?”

“How did the nine governors of the oil-producing states who are members of the advisory council have no input? So, it is most embarrassing to the President and there is a need for it to be investigated and checked so that it does not happen again” he said.

The genesis of the current crisis in the NDDC which was established to address the developmental needs of the Niger Delta, as well as oil-producing states, lies in the alleged flawed manner, which the new board members were appointed, particularly in the case of the chairman, Dr. Pius Odubu (Edo) and Bernard Okumagba (Delta) as managing director. (Daily Independent)

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