MEET FRANK OSHANUGOR
By Frank Oshanugor
Members of the newly constituted Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) can now officially resume duties following their inauguration on Wednesday by the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana Okon Umana on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The new Board Chairman, Ms Lauretta Onochie and her colleagues physically attended the inauguration which took place at the Transcript Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The colourful ceremony which was well attended by some cabinet members, law makers, top officials of government, family members, associates, friends and well wishers was an imperatively auspicious exercise needed to signal the assumption of office by the new Board as in other circumstances.
In her brief remark at the occasion, Onochie said “apart from the physical development of our region, we will be paying extra attention to the empowerment of our teaming youth population, equipping them with requisite skills to catch up with their peers in other parts of Nigeria and elsewhere….
We will not fail. It’s a promise. But we ask that you give us the breathing space to do our job. We ask for your support, all and sundry, so we can deliver for the long-suffering people of the Niger Delta.
So, help us, God.”
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Umana in performing the inauguration rites said “I appreciate His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari for fulfilling the law by keeping his promise of approving the Board of NDDC in line with Section 2 subsection 1 of the NDDC Act 2000. Today, we are witnessing the inauguration of the board in fulfillment of Mr. President’s promise that he will put in place a genuine board for the commission after the completion of the forensic audit.”
It would be recalled that the Senate last December confirmed the nomination of Lauretta Onochie and other members of the Board whose names were submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute the new Board after about four years of official hiccups that necessitated a forensic audit into the affairs of the Commission.
