From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives, on Thursday, screened nominees into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC).
The nominees, who appeared before the ad-hoc panel chaired by the chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, and were asked to take a bow included the chairman, Chiedu Ebie; the managing director, Samuel Ogbuku; Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Boma Iyaye, Executive Director, Projects, Victor Antai and the Executive Director, Corporate Services, Ifedayo AbegundeAbegunde.
Others were Dimaro Denyanbofa, Abasi Ndikan Nkono, Monday Igbuya, Tony Okocha, Kyrian Uchegbu, Otitio Atikase, Dimgba Eruba, Orok Otu Duke, Nick Wende, Namdas Abdulrazak, Ibrahim Gobir representing Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers, Edo, Imo, Ondo,Abia, Cross River, North Central, North East North West respectively.
Ibori-Suenu, while addressing the nominees, said the exercise was in compliance with the extant act, which requires that nominees into the NDDC board, should be screened and confirmed by the parliament. She added that after the exercise, the panel shall make a recommendation for their confirmation.
The House leader, Julius Ihonvbere, on his part, admonished the nominees to use their positions to make a difference in the Niger Delta region. Ihonbvere stated that the nominees owes the country a duty to deliver on their mandates.
According to him, “this is a new calling. And we are all familiar with the crisis, conflicts, contradictions, insinuations, challenges that the NDDC has gone through over the years. We believe that this new crop will make a difference; do things differently, articulate issues differently, be fair and just to everyone, every region, every community without far or favour”.