NDDC MD dismisses rumours of tenure expiration

Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku has dismissed as false rumours making the rounds that his tenor as Managing Director of the commission has expired.

He said the narrative of his tenor expiration was being pushed by those who want to confuse the commission to truncate the progress the current board and management are making in the development of the Niger Delta region.

Speaking to journalist Tuesday at a press conference at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, Dr. Ogbuku explained that he was in the 4-year second tenor after President Bola Tinubu renewed his appointment to complete Bayelsa State’s slot for the Managing Director position.

“I have also heard of all those rumours. Those rumours have also circulated here in the Commission. And you see, the narrative of my tenor ending is being pushed by some selfish persons who do not want this Commission to work. And because we are united, there is no infighting, there is no quarrel. They have to come with another deceptive means,” the MD stated.

He noted that there were people who benefited from the instability in the Commission because they have seen that the present board and management are working towards delivering for the people of the Niger Delta.

The NDDC boss explained that even though his initial appointment of two years expired, President Bola Tinubu renewed his appointment for another tenor of 4 years to complete Bayelsa’s second tenor as Managing Director.

He referred to Section 3, (1) of the NDDC Act to buttress his explanation arguing that according to the provision of the constitution; “subject to the provision of Section 4 of this Act, a member of the board of the NDDC, other than ex-official member, shall hold office for a term of four years at the first instance and may be reappointed for that term of four years, and no more”.

“If they say my tenor is ending, yes, my first appointment was two years. And after that one, I have a renewal of tenor. So, if my appointment for two years was to complete the Bayelsa first four years, now, the President, in his wisdom, has now reappointed me to complete the Bayelsa second tenor, and of which, no more,” he explained.

Dr Ogbuku argued that if they insisted that his tenor had ended, then the pushers of the narrative were trying to short-change Bayelsa state of their second tenor.

He said; “In this same commission, in 2015, when the Buhari administration came in, the MD then was from Akwa Ibom, which was Dan Abia. When that board was dissolved, the President reappointed Isima EKere from Akwa Ibom to complete the Akwa Ibom second tenor.

“And the same thing they did with the chairman, who was from Cross River state, where Ndoma Egba, was appointed to complete it. The NDDC is shared according to states, and no state should shortchange another state. So if you say, my tenor is ending, that means you’re saying Bayelsa’s tenor is ending.”

He challenged those claiming that his tenor has ended to visit the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to confirm his reappointment with proof of his appointment letter.

The NDDC MD said; “For the sake of Freedom of Information Act, (FIA) you can go to the SGF’s office, that is where appointment letters are being given. It is there. You can get it. Those that are selling that narrative going to different places are people who do not want this commission to work. They are not only just saying that the tenor has ended now if you say the Bayelsa tenor has ended and somebody from Delta State should come and take over, the chairman is also from Delta.

“So if Delta is going to have MD and Chairman, that is to tell you that technically what they are trying to do is to create a chaos where they will now say; ‘oh since there is imbalance dissolve the board let the board be reconstituted’ and they will not only try to reconstitute the body or rather push for sole administrator which is inimical to what would benefit the people of the Niger Delta. So you can see clearly that their interest is not for the people of the Niger Delta but we know that even the public knows that what they are doing will not work because except they are saying that the President has acted in error by acting in accordance with the act by triggering the provision of the act which says you can be reappointed for four years”.