Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Wednesday, inaugurated the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission with Lauretta Onochie taking charge as Chairperson.
The board’s inauguration follows the confirmation of their nominations by the Senate last month.
Earlier, Minister of State for Niger-Delta Affairs, Sharon Ikeazu, urged the new board to work towards restoring hope to the people of the region.
However, there are still controversies surrounding the inauguration as major stakeholders in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo state filed a suit asking the Federal High Court, Abuja to stop the ceremony on the premise that one of the nominees is not an indigene of the oil-producing area of the state.
The plaintiffs comprising former Clerk of the National Assembly and Chairman Board of Trustees of Ugboland Development Congress, Oluyemi Ogunyomi, trustee and Secretary of Ugboland Development Congress, Adebowale Karaki and Mann Ali claimed the nominee, Charles Ogunmola is from Owo in the northern axis of Ondo state which is not an oil producing area.
A similar suit has been filed by the Itsekiri Ethnic nationality with the same complaint levelled against the NDDC Chairman, Lauretta Onochie and the Commission’s Managing Director, Samuel Ogbukuas.
