TheCable

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), a socio-political group, has commended President Bola Tinubu over the “swift” reconstitution of the board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

On August 29, Tinubu appointed board members and a management team for the NDDC, making Chiedu Ebie from Delta state, the chairman of the commission and Samuel Ogbuku representing Bayelsa, the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO).

In a communique issued on Tuesday by Ken Robinson, the national publicity secretary of PANDEF, the group said the nominations satisfied the expectations of a vast majority of the people of the Niger Delta region.

The group added that the reappointment of Samuel Ogbuku as the managing director is commendable, noting that the president‘s action was in tandem with the law and fundamental principles behind the establishment of the commission.

“It is, therefore, for the forum, quite gratifying that Mr President has, within his first one hundred days in office, reconstituted the board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC,” the statement reads.

“PANDEF notes that this singular action of the president provides a glimmer of hope that, perhaps, President Bola Tinubu’s administration would depart from the gross nonchalance of the immediate past administration, and devote the much-needed attention and seriousness to issues of the Niger Delta region.

“PANDEF further notes that the president also acted promptly, in a similar manner, by assigning a minister to the ministry of Niger Delta, after the denunciations, from the region, which greeted the initial non-assignment of a minister to the all-important cabinet.”

The group had advised Tinubu against scrapping or submerging the ministry of Niger Delta affairs.