Sanni Onogu, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that a new Board of the Niger Delta Development Commissioner (NDDC) will be composed at the completion of the ongoing Forensic Audit of the Commission.

President Buhari stated this in a letter to the Senate read on Tuesday by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, at plenary.

The President said that names of members of the reconstituted NDDC Board would be transmitted to the Senate for screening and confirmation.

The implication of this is that the controversial board members earlier screened and confirmed by the Senate have been thrown overboard.

The letter dated 23rd December 2019, reads:
“I write to intimate the Senate of the development concerning the appointment of the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“The Senate may wish to note that after the dissolution of the board of the NDDC, an Interim Management Team was set up to manage the affairs of the commission before a new board was composed and sent for Senate confirmation.

“The Senate is invited to note that while the process of composition and Senate confirmation of the appointment of the board was on-going, I had directed that the forensic audit of the commission be carried out which is being overseen by the constituted interim management team.

“Based on this and in order to allow for uninterrupted process of forensic investigation, the board appointment confirmed by the Senate has to be put on hold.

“This is to allow the interim team continue to manage the Commission pending the outcome of the forensic audit.

“Thereafter, a new Board of the Commission will be re-composed for confirmation by the Senate.”