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October 21, 2022
However, multiple sources told SaharaReporters that one Rachel O. Oddiri is the most senior director in the commission.
The appointment of Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua as the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is against the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, SaharaReporters has gathered.
Audu-Ohwavborua, a director in the Delta State office of the NDDC was on Thursday asked to take over the running of the commission, pending the setting up of a new management team and a governing board, a letter, dated 20 October, from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Umana Umana read.1
The appointment is however against President Buhari’s directive that the most senior director should take over the running of the affairs of the NDDC in line with the Federal Government Circular dated 4th December 2017, with Ref. No. 50/S./C.2/268.
“Sequel to President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the disengagement of the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from his position, the President has further approved that the most senior director in the Commission should take over the running of the affairs of the Commission in line with the Federal Government Circular dated 4th December 2017, with Ref. No. 50/S./C.2/268, pending the appointment of a substantive Managing Director and members of the Governing Board,” a statement by the Minister had read.
However, multiple sources told SaharaReporters that one Rachel O. Oddiri is the most senior director in the commission.
It was gathered that Oddiri joined NDDC when it was still known as Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC).
She was appointed as the substantive director in 2013 while Audu-Ohwavborua became a substantive director in 2015.
“Rachael Oddiri is the most senior Director at the Niger Delta Development Commission of which Mr President Buhari approved that the most senior Director in the Commission should act pending the setting up of the governing board,” one of the sources told SaharaReporters on Friday.
“A very junior director with high contacts has just been named as the Acting MD in flagrant disregard of the directive of Mr President as contained in the letter dated October 20, 2022, and signed by the Minister of the Niger Delta, Umana Okon Umana.”
According to one of the sources, “President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of the most senior director as acting MD NDDC, pending the inauguration of a substantive board to run the affairs of the commission”.
The source continued, “Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, who has now been appointed as acting MD is not the most senior director in the commission. Ms Racheal Oddiri, who has been with the commission since the days of OMPADEC is presently the most senior director in the commission.
“She was appointed as a substantive director in 2013 while the presently appointed acting MD, Audu-Ohwavborua was appointed a substantive director in 2015.
“Ohwavborua is highly connected, a development that resulted in Mr President being misled to approve the said appointment. It should be noted that a certain Mr Serigha Glasgow joined the commission through a former MD, Timi Alaibe as a deputy director after youth service with no record of service and is also laying claim to being the most senior director against service regulations.
“There is a muffled unease presently at the commission because of widespread knowledge among staff members that a very junior director who was deputy director as of 2013, when Rachael Oddiri was a substantive director is paraded publicly as the most senior director of the commission.
“Both directors are from Delta state and of the Urhobo ethnic stock; the engineer, the junior director now appointed as acting MD are from Eku in Ethiope East while Rachael Oddiri is from Orogun in Ughelli North Local government Area, the home town of the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo- Agege.”