The South-South Emerging Leaders Forum (SELF) has cautioned the Minister of Niger Delta, Mr Umana Umana, not to cause unnecessary confusion in the appointment of a new Sole Administrator for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
President Muhammadu Buhari relieved the interim administrator of NDDC, Mr Effiong Akwa, of his position and directed the commission’s most senior director to oversee its affairs.
The minister subsequently announced that Mr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua would perform the duties of the managing director in an acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive Managing Director and members of the Governing Board.
However, in a statement signed Thursday in Abuja by its coordinator, Barr Preye Johnson, the group said the director appointed by the Minister to succeed the sacked administrator “is not the most senior director as directed by the President. There are two more senior directors ahead of him.”
The forum named the most qualified senior directors, including Seigha Glasgow and Prince Alazigha.
The South-South Forum, however, threatened to drag the minister to court if the right thing is not done based on the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the forum, if the injustice melted against the most senior directors is not corrected, the Commission will not grow properly, and the most senior directors will be disrespected.
The statement also urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to recognise and allow for the change of signature of Mr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua.
The statement said, “As a frontline forum of professionals in the Niger Delta, we are using this medium to call on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Umana Okon Umana, to do the right thing and avoid unnecessary confusion at the NDDC by appointing the most senior director as directed by Mr President.
We are making this call because the appointment of Mr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua is in contrary to the directive of the President and it is in the public knowledge that there are two most senior directors ahead of Mr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua.
“We hereby call on the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not to recognise or allow for the change of signature by Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua as the acting Managing Director of NDDC because he is not the most senior Director in the Commission as stated in the letter signed by the Ministry of Niger Delta and dated 20th October 2022.
“Apart from the CBN, we call on the National Assembly not to have anything to do with the leadership of Mr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua as NDDC’s acting helmsman.
“We also warn that if the right thing is not done, we shall have no option but to approach the Court of Law to correct the injustice,” the statement said.
