A HUMAN rights lawyer, Myson Nejo, has raised the alarm over the appointment of a Managing Director for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) despite the dissolution of its board by President Bola Tinubu.
In a petition addressed to the Nigerian leader, the legal practitioner described the alleged move of the ministry’s permanent secretary as an affront to the President’s directive dissolving all federal parastatals and agencies.
According to Nejo, the NDDC Act stipulated that the Managing Director was a member of the dissolved board, and that only the President has the power to appoint anyone to the board.
While demanding a probe into activities of the Managing Director, the lawyer called for immediate reversal of the purported appointment.
Nejo said: “By a notice dated June 19, 2023, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dissolved the board of federal parastatals and agencies, including but not limited to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), with a further directive that the most senior civil servant in the affected agencies, commissions and parastatals should take over the administration of the affected agencies pending the constitution of a new board.”
By Section 2 (1) (g) of the NDDC Act, the Managing Director is a member of the NDDC board, which has now been dissolved by Mr. President.
“Worryingly, by a letter dated June 21, 2023, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Niger Delta, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, unilaterally and in brazen disregard to the orders of the President, appointed the Managing Director of the dissolved board to oversee the affairs of the NDDC until a new board is constituted by the President.”
He went on: “As if that was not enough demonstration of unbridled affront to the directive of the President, the Permanent Secretary directed that the purported appointment was to take effect from the June 16, 2023, despite the glaring fact that the board was dissolved on June 19, 2023. Simply, the purported appointment was made to have a retroactive or retrospective effect.
“In the overt manifestation of the conspiracy between Chief Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director, Charles B. Ogunmola (Executive Director, Projects) and (retired) Maj.-Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (Executive Director, Finance) of the dissolved NDDC board, they both, in clear and unrestrained insubordination to the authority of the President, illegally convened and held a meeting with staff of the NDDC at NDDC Headquarters, Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
“This is, to say the least, unacceptable and a gross abuse of office. First, the appointment of a member of the dissolved board to the interim leadership of the NDDC is not only illegal, it is an affront to the authority of the President.
“I am aware that as of June 22, 2023, the purported appointee has started holding meetings with administrative staff of the NDDC as though his appointment were valid and constitutional.”