Senate Clears Buhari’s Aide, Lauretta Onochie As NDDC Chairman, Other Nominees

By Ayodele Oni

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of the president’s Special Assistant on New Media, Lauretta Ifeanyi-Onochie, as the substantive Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission Board, (NDDC).

The Senate, at the plenary also confirmed 12 others except two who didn’t attend the screening conducted last Friday at the National Assembly complex.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday, last week, asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of his Special Assistant on New Media, Lauretta Ifeanyi-Onochie as the substantive chairman of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

Ifeanyi-Onochie, from Delta state, had earlier been rejected by the Senate when her name was forwarded as a commissioner in Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).

Buhari had also named 14 others in the letter as Managing Director, Executive Directors, and members of the Board.

They included Samuel Ogbokwu, from Bayelsa State, as the Managing Director, who would serve for two years to complete the term of his predecessor in office.

Other members are Dimgba Erugba, representing Abia State, Dr. Emem Willcox Wills ( Akwa Ibom), Denyanbofa Dimaro (Bayelsa State), Hon. Orok Duke (Cross River) and Dr. Pius Odudu ( Edo State).

Others included Engineer Anthony Ekenne (Imo State), Hon. Gbenga Edema (Ondo State), Elekwachi Dimkpa (Rivers State), Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Abubakar ( Nasarawa State, representing North-Cenral zone), Alhaji Sadiq Sami Sule – Ikoh ( Kebbi State, North-West) and Prof. Tahir Mamman SAN, (Adamawa State, North-East).

The President also nominated Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (retd) from Edo State as the (Executive Director, Finance) and Charles Ogunmola, from Ondo State, as the Executive Director, Projects.

The Senate has refused to screen Ogunmola as three senators from Ondo state kicked that he is not from oil producing area of the state.

The state government too had disowned him on that basis, with Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu saying that he knew nothin about his nomination.