From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
There are strong indications that the Presidency has pencilled down Major-General John Michael Ogidi (rtd) from Bayelsa State as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as the race for the plum job hots up.
According to investigations, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and supervising minister for the NDDC, Godswill Akpabio, and other critical stakeholders have decided to stick to the NDDC Establishment Act which means Bayelsa State would produce the Managing Director of the government interventionist agency.
Names previously mentioned in connection with the job are Dr Samuel Ogbuku from Ogbia Local Government Area, Mr Fitzgerald Olorogun and Mr Denyabofa Dimaro, both from Ekeremor Local Government Area, Chief David Lyon from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and Major-General Charles Ndiomu (rtd) from Sagbama Local Government Area.
Sources said Ogidi appears to have edged out other contenders based on his pedigree and the determination of the Presidency to return sanity to the operations of the NDDC which in recent times has been in the news for some unpalatable reasons.
He is said to command a lot of respect from ex-agitators, the majority of whom have been agitating for a substantive NDDC board to be appointed and inaugurated to douse brewing tension over the lack of infrastructural development in the region.
The former military officer was involved in brokering peace in the region which led to the suspension of Operation Red Economy by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in 2017.
The Presidency is said to have been impressed with the performance of Col Midland Dixon Dikio as head of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and wants another brilliant former military officer from the Niger Delta region to head the NDDC and return it to its original vision.
Ogidi who retired from the Nigerian Army as Commander Corps of Signals (CCS), headquarters Nigerian Army Signals is from Ayibabiri in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area.
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Patriotic Movement (NDPM), has implored the Presidency to return NDDC to the Presidency for supervision as originally contained in the NDDC Act.
NDPM, in a statement signed by its coordinator, Alabo Daute, said it is regrettable that NDDC whose focus should be on the development of the Niger Delta region has been enmeshed in one scandal or the other since its supervision was placed under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
According to him, NDDC cannot make any meaningful progress unless Senator Akpabio is not allowed to appoint his stooge to that would continue his agenda.
The statement read in part: ‘We plead with the Presidency to swiftly remove the NDDC from being supervised by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and return it to the Presidency. Since the Niger Delta Ministry assumed supervision of the agency it has moved from one scandal to the other which has not benefitted the suffering people of the region. The NDDC under the supervision of Senator Akpabio has lost focus and is affecting the image of President Buhari in the Niger Delta region. The Presidency must assume supervision of the NDDC to demonstrate its seriousness to the development of the region.’