Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has directed the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, to withdraw the appointment of the three-man Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which he set up recently.
The House resolved to discontinue the consideration of the 2020 budget process of the Niger Delta Ministry, until Akpabio complies with the directive.
The House also resolved to urge the Senate to suspend work on the 2020 budget of Niger Delta Affairs ministry until Akpabio cancels the appointment of the NDDC interim management committee.
This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ossai Nicholas Ossai, under matters of urgent public importance, on ” urgent need to stop the illegality in the NDDC,” at Wednesday’s plenary.
Ossai, in his lead debate, informed the House that some time in October, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the operations and activities of the NDDC from 2001 to 2019.
He noted that precisely on October 29, President Buhari through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced the appointment of 15 new members of the NDDC board, and subsequently sent their names to the Senate for confirmation.
The lawmaker , however, stated that on the same October 29, the Niger Delta Affairs minister announced the sack of the acting Managing Director of the agency and the appointment of a three-man Interim Management Committee, and directed them to manage the affairs of the NDDC for six months.