jubril Bada
The lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Donald Ojogo, has asked President Bola Tinubu, to address the age-long alienation of the South West in appointment into the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Ojogo said the exclusion of the South West, particularly Ondo State, had given credence to the long-held perception that the headship, especially the position of the NDDC’s Managing Director is the exclusive preserve of the South South States.
According to the immediate-past Information Commissioner, an Ijaw, the first Arogbo-Ijaw man to serve as Federal lawmaker in the National Assembly.
Ojogo while describing the situation as ‘disdainful and repulsive’, he said in a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu that, Section 12(1) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) (Establishment etc) Act, 2000 (hereinafter referred to as NDDC Act) provides that the positions of Managing Director, and two Executive Directors should rotate amongst member states.
“There shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director, and two Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with the member states of the Commission with the highest production quantum of oil and shall rotate amongst member states in the order of production,” he quoted.
He appealed to the President to consider the contents and spirit of the NDDC Act by appointing an indigene of Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State as the next Managing Director of the NDDC.
The lawmaker said the move would effectively erase the hitherto warped perception that South West does not have a right to the position of the MD except the South-South States that have continually appropriated the slot.
According to him “The South West, whose representation providence has naturally placed on Ondo State is the Fifth in the production quota.
” Ondo State therefore, ought to have been considered for the position of MD even in the last Governing Board of the NDDC that has just been dissolved.
“In considering appointments into other positions such as Executive Director(s) and State Representative on the NDDC’s Governing Board, only indigenes of the oil-producing area should be appointed.
“The appointment of the last Executive Director (Projects) of the NDDC, Mr Ogunmola, an indigene of Owo Local Government Area from Ondo North Senatorial District, was in flagrant breach of the NDDC Act, 2000 even as amended.”