Buhari fires NDDC management, appoints sole administrator

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally sacked the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), following reported financial misappropriations at the interventionist agency.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Buhari, Femi Adesina made this known in a statement on Saturday.

According to the statement, President Buhari approved Mr Effiong Okon Akwa as interim administrator for the NDDC.

Akwa was the Ag. Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Commission before becoming the sole administrator of the interventionist agency.

He is to assume headship of the NDDC till completion of the forensic audit, according to the statement by Adesina.

The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of an interim administrator to oversee the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“He is Mr Effiong Okon Akwa, the Ag. Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Commission, who is to assume headship till completion of the forensic audit.

“Mr Akwa is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“The development became necessary as a result of plethora of litigation and a restraining order issued recently against the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC by a Federal High Court in Abuja”.

Recall the NDDC had been embroiled in allegations of financial misappropriations under Prof Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei.

In one of the investigations into the financial misappropriations, Pondei fainted while being interrogated.

TNG reports NDDC’s Director of Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is also affected with the dissolution of the commission’s management.

The final outcome of the forensic audit of the NDDC under Pondei is still being awaited.