Jonathan Urged To Comply With NDDC Act

President Goodluck Jonathan has been advised to comply with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act and send a supplementary appropriation bill to the National Assembly for the immediate release of all the shortfalls in statutory allocations to the NDDC amounting to over Six Hundred Billion Naira as at the end of 2012.


The former Acting Managing Director/CEO and former Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the NDDC, Pastor Power Ziakede Aginighan who made the appeal in a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Abuja, said without the contributions of the oil mineral producing companies, the NDDC would have long been a broke institution.

Pastor Aginighan said with proper funding and efficient utilisation of available resources, the NDDC will have the capacity to discharge its mandate of providing accelerated development of the Niger Delta Region.
He congratulated Dr Christy Atako on her appointment as Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He further commended President Jonathan for his consistency in appointing interim administrators from within the Commission whenever a Board is dissolved. The practice according to him has provided the Niger Delta Development Commission seamless transition from one Board to another.

‘‘I take liberty of this opportunity to once again express my discomfort over the indefensible failure of the Federal Government to adhere strictly to the funding provisions under Section 14(2) of the Niger Delta Development Commission 2000 since the inception of the Commission.

As one who once held various top management positions in the NDDC, I am bold to say that but for contributions of the oil mineral producing companies, the NDDC would have long been an insolvent institution.

‘‘I salute the outgoing Chairman Dr Tarila Tebepah, the outgoing Managing Director/CEO Dr Chrs Oboh and other members of the dissolved Board for their contributions to development of the Niger Delta region.

There is no doubt that Dr Christy Atako's wealth of experience in various senior management positions from the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission(OMPADEC) to the NDDC has prepared her for this divine elevation which is indeed her date with history.

I am fully persuaded that she will certainly give a good account of herself firstly to God and secondarily to Mr President, the Nigerian State and the Niger Delta region’’, he stated.