President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Effiong Okon Akwa, the sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). 

“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the disengagement of the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Effiong Okon Akwa, from his post with effect from today, 20 October 2022,” Patricia Deworitshe, spokesperson for the Ministry of Niger Delta said in a memo released on Thursday afternoon. 

Mr Akwa was appointed in December 2020, after Kemebradikumo Pondei was relieved of his position as the acting managing director of the commission. 

He was appointed interim administrator of the Commission for the duration of the Forensic Audit into the operations of the NDDC.

However, Mr Buhari has also announced the constitution of a new management team and governing board of the NDDC. 

“President Buhari has also approved the constitution of a new Management Team and Governing Board of the NDDC in line with section 5(2) of the NDDC Act, 2000.

Akwa

“The names of the nominees for the new management team and Governing Board are to be transmitted to the National Assembly for approval, Mr Deworitshe added in the memo. 

In 2019, the Senate confirmed Pius Odubu as Chairman for the NDDC board, Bernard Okumagba (Delta) as managing Director; Otobong Ndem (Akwa Ibom), Executive Director of Projects; Maxwell Oko (Bayelsa), Executive Director of Finance and Administration; Jones Erue (Delta); Victor Ekhator (Edo); Nwogu N. Nwogu (Abia) and Theodore Allison (Bayelsa).

Others are Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom), Maurice Effiwat (Cross River), Olugbenga Edema (Ondo), Uchegbu Kyrian (Imo), Aisha Muhammed (North West); Shuaibu Zubairu (North East) and Abdullahu Bage (North Central).

But instead of inaugurating the board confirmed by the Senate, Mr Buhari approved the appointment of an Interim Administrator, Mr Akwa. 

It now appears that Buhari’s regime has jettisoned the names confirmed by the Senate, with the plans to forward the names of new nominees for the NDDC board and management to the federal legislators. 

The immediate-past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, had repeatedly assured that the already confirmed board of the agency would be inaugurated as soon as the Forensic Audit report was submitted.

The audit report was submitted in August 2021.