On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu appointed board members and a management team for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, Chiedu Ebie (Delta) was appointed the chairman of the board, while Samuel Ogbuku (Bayelsa) is the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO).
Other executive directors of the management team are Boma Iyaye (Rivers) for finance and admin, Victor Antai (Akwa Ibom) for projects, and Ifedayo Abegunde (Ondo) for corporate services.
States representatives include Dimaro Denyanbofa (Bayelsa), Abasi Ndikan Nkono (Akwa Ibom),
Monday Igbuya (Delta) Tony Okocha (Rivers), Patrick Aisowieren (Edo), Kyrian Uchegbu (Imo), Victor Kolade Akinjo (Ondo), Dimgba Eruba (Abia), and Asu Oku Okang (Cross River).
Zonal representatives include Nick Wende (north-central), Namdas Abdulrazak (north-east), and Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir (north-west).
However, the nominations have not gone down well with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in many states who have expressed shock and disappointment over some of the names.
Many of them have been left wondering why President Tinubu will ignore his own party members and nominate known adversaries of APC for appointments.
According to them, the action of the president is a slap on their sweats and efforts to grow the APC within their respective states.
In Delta, the nomination of Mr. Chiedu Ebie, as the chairman of the NDDC board, was received with shock by members of the APC, who see him as being one of the enemies of the party.
Ebie is a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party and campaigned for Atiku during the last presidential election in Delta.
My Promise Ezekiel, a member of the APC from Ika South local government area of Delta State is piqued by Ebie’s nomination, stating that the same fought against the party in the area but has now been rewarded with such a position.
“What President Tinubu is telling us is that there is no need for the APC in Delta, and we will follow him. We fought against all manner threats and intimidation to vote for the APC in the last election but see what the president has done? Is this how a leader should behave towards his members?
Victor Kolade Akinjo’s membership of the NDDC board has not gone down well with members of APC in Ondo State, who expressed shock over his nomination, saying the former Reps member for Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, is a prominent member of the PDP and had fought against the party as recent as the last general elections.
A member of APC in Ilaje local government area, Benjamin Ikukuenyin, said President Tinubu’s action is a slap on members of the party, who fought Akinjo to a standstill during this year’s National Assembly election and was defeated from seeking a third term in the House of Reps.
He lamented further that the president’s nomination has rubbished the gallant efforts of APC members in the Ilaje axis, who have consistently defended the party at the risk of their lives.
Said he: “So, of what value is our support and membership of APC if the president can just wake and nominate a total stranger to the party? Where was Akinjo when we were fighting for the president to win an election in Ondo State? This nomination is shameful to say the list, and we shall fight it with all our will.”
In Cross River State, there was protest over the nomination of Asu Oku Okang by members of the party, who felt betrayed by the president’s action and voiced a vehement reservation.
According to Emmanuel Inyang, the Assistant Publicity Secretary of APc in Cross River, seeing the name of “Mr Asu Oku Okang, a diehard PDP member, a known persecutor of our party, an enemy of APC, unrepentant political opponent of our party who in the last 2023 general elections destroyed our members properties, fought them, injured and almost killed our members in Etung local government area of Cross River, to now surreptitiously find his name in the list of Grade A (NDDC) board which is meant to reward loyal members of our party who sacrificed their resources, energy and time to ensure the victory of our party and all our candidates including our amiable President will not only kill the enthusiasm of our members but it will torpedo our party.
“The APC, Cross River State chapter in the strongest terms rejects, disowns and dissociate itself from the said list.”
The nomination of Boma Iyaye as the Executice Director, Finance and Administration received both condemnation and remonstration from members of the APC in Rivers State, wondering why President Tinubu would abandon his party members and patroinise those who never campaigned for nor supported his presidential ambition.
According to Mr Sokari John, it is disheartening and regretable that the president could give all appointments due to the state so far to members of the PDP, while his own party members wallow in regrets
He noted that Tinubu was laying a very dangerous precedence that will hunt the APC for a long time to come, adding that party members fought with blood, death and sweat to make the party stay alive in Rivers State.
Another party member, Chinedu Ahunanya, said he regretted ever supporting the APC at the general elections, stating that several members of the party were threatened and injured for daring to preach the gospel of the APC.
“I have always had enormous respect for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but I must say that I am terribly disappointed with his handling of APC in Rivers State.
“Where were these people when we laid down our lives for the APC to thrive in Rivers State? The people being appointed today never said anything good in the party. Is this how a leader should behave? What moral right will have to talk to us again? I am indeed disappointed with his style of politics.”
Below are some of the statements:
APC CROSS RIVER STATE CHAPTER REJECTS NOMINATION OF ASU OKU OKANG AS NDDC BOARD MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE FOR CRS.
Our dear party faithful, the attention of the party leadership in the state has been drawn to a list circulating on social and electronic media purported to be a list of the newly constituted board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC)
As a political party in the Niger Delta region, we want to commend our amiable President, H.E Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for his prompt response to the yearnings and aspirations of our people who are desirous of a rapid respond management team to address the infrastructural decay and sordid condition of the region.
We humbly submit and subject ourselves to the leadership, wisdom and political discernment of Mr President and we further concede that it is within Mr President’s plenipotentiary powers to constitute boards of this monumental importance in due consultation with party leadership at the sub National levels which Mr President has through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) duly gotten our inputs.
It is however shocking, annoying, appalling, revolting, abnormal, and politically suicidal for us in APC Cross River State to see the name of Mr Asu Oku okang, a diehard PDP member, a known persecutor of our party, an enemy of APC, unrepentant political opponent of our party who in the last 2023 general elections destroyed our members properties, fought them, injured and almost killed our members in Etung Local Government Area of CRS, to now surreptitiously find his name in the list of a Grade A (NDDC) board which is meant to reward loyal members of our party who sacrificed their resources, energy and time to ensure the victory of our party and all our candidates including our amiable President will not only kill the enthusiasm of our members but it will torpedo our party
The APC, Cross River State chapter in the strongest of terms rejects, disowns, and disassociate itself from the said list.
If this is an innocent mistake on the part of those saddled with the responsibility of constituting Federal boards and Agencies, we humbly call on them to please correct this grievous error by removing, deleting and erasing the name of Mr Asu Oku Okang as Representative of Cross River State on the board of NDDC.
While the party patiently awaits Mr President and the National Chairman of the party to resolve the recently orchestrated injustice done to CRS in relation to the office of National Women Leader in denying CRS’s Hon. Dr Mrs Stella Oreme Odey Ekpo at the expense of Edo state, it will amount to aggravated injury and an unpardonable amnesia if a known enemy of our party, Mr Asu Oku Okang whose principal is at the tribunal against us is rewarded with such an important and impactful board that is meant to renew the hope of faithful members of the party.
We want to humbly appeal to Mr President to put his sagacious mind and attention on some strange, obnoxious, pestilential and diabolical development in Cross River State being perpetuated by some persons who are out to create disaffection amongst party leadership and unnecessary political crisis in the only APC State in the south south region.
We also want to appeal to the President of the Senate, the Senate and House of Representatives Committees chairmen and members of NDDC not to accept, entertain, clear or give any legal clearance to any list except the name of Asu Okang is removed from the list.
To our dear party members who are peeved by this unfortunate and grievous mistake, we want to humbly appeal to you to remain calm while the party takes every necessary steps to ensure that the presidency make amends.
Once again, we thank Mr President for his kind thoughts even as we pray that God continues to guide and protect him Amen.
Long Live FRN
Long Live CRS
Long Live APC
Hon. Emmanuel Edem Inyang JP,
Assistant Publicity Secretary
APC, Cross River State
August 30, 2023
*Ondo APC Rejects nomination of PDP’s Kolade Akinjo as NDDC board member*
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has rejected the nomination of Kolade Akinjo as the State Representative on the governing board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Leaders of the party, in a virtual meeting on Wednesday, however, commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the appointment of Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, as the Executive Director, Corporate Services of the Commission.
A statement by the state publicity secretary of the party, Alex Kalejaye said the State Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, presided over the well-attended emergency meeting.
The APC chieftains, who reaffirmed loyalty to the president, applauded his efforts to rebuild the economy in the interest of every Nigerian.
“We concede to Mr. President the right to appoint any qualified Nigerian to any office, having given him the popular mandate to preside over our affairs.
“We only wish to remind Your Excellency that Mr. Kolade Victor Akinjo was the House of Representatives candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the presidential election, having served two terms on the platform of the opposition party.
“It is equally pertinent to aver that while Mr. President’s desire to instill an all-inclusive governance for the good of the people, we doubt if anyone who worked assiduously for his party, the PDP, as well as his presidential candidate, Abubakar Atiku on the potency of anti-APC sloganeering, fits better than our teeming members for the plum job.
“It is, therefore, our fear that appointing such a man into an influential position could demoralise our members, particularly in Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency, who who contributed immensely to the overall votes from the Sunshine State.
“We have no doubt, in the circumstance, that Mr President will revisit the nomination of Akinjo as the Ondo State Representative on the NDDC’s Governing Board and bring on board someone known to have worked for the party.”
However, the APC chieftains hailed the appointment of Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde, describing him as a committed party party leader, who worked tirelessly for the party, before and during the general elections.
While restating unwavering support for the ongoing economic reforms, the chapter further commended the president for the palliative offered states to cushion the temporary effects of subsidy removal.
“The leadership of the ruling party in Ondo appeals to our dear president to take a second look at the appointment of Mr. Akinjo, to avoid the unpleasant situation of ‘Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop’”, the leaders added.
E-signed
Alex Kalejaye,
State Publicity Secretary,
Ondo APC
30th August, 2023
