NDDC Board: Ignore Rita-Lori, Group tells Buhari

The Warri Indigenes Network has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians to ignore the statement credited to Chief Rita-Lori Ogbebor on the new Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission as it is a complete misinterpretation and misrepresentation of provisions of the NDDC Act.
In a statement signed by its Chairman Pere Tombra and Secretary Neye Omatsola, the group said the statement by Ogbebor that Bernard Okumagba, the Managing Director-designate of NDDC, is not from the oil-producing area is unfortunate and regrettable. Quoting Section 12 (1) of the NDDC Act 2017 (as amended), which deals with the qualifications for appointment of executive directors of the Commission, it stated that Okumagba was duly qualified to be the Chief Executive of the Commission because the Section specifies: “There shall be for the Commission a Managing Director and two Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas.”
In its words: “Mr Okumagba is a bonafide indigene of Warri South Local Government Area of the Delta South Senatorial District, which is an oil-producing area, and is duly qualified to be nominated for the position of Managing Director of the NDDC as provided for in the Act. What is important is for a nominee to come from an oil-producing area and Warri South Local Government Area is an ‘Oil-Producing Area.’”
The group said that “it is mischievous for anyone to try to play up narrow interests, hiding behind spurious claims, which bode no good for the people of Warri and the Niger Delta region. The group commended the high professional qualities of Mr Okumagba as an acclaimed technocrat and his avowed non-tribal disposition, which has seen his nomination receive kudos from Niger Deltans around the world. It added that the position as stated by Ogbebor smacks of ethnic chauvinism that has no place in the new Niger Delta that is unfolding. It condemned the usual tendency of indigenes of the region to raise petitions and condemn people appointed to work for the region, rather than network and engage them in finding common solutions to the developmental problems in the region.
The Warri Indigenes Network expressed its confidence in the capacity of new NDDC board to make a difference in the lives of the people of the region, given the array of experienced and committed people appointed by the President.Lagos begins process to reintroduce monthly sanitation
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday informed residents that the enabling law to permit reintroduction of monthly sanitation is on the way.
The Government’s resolve was made by the Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, during a stakeholders’ meeting with the Association of Commodity Market Women and Men led by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria, Chief Folasade Tinubu-Ojo.
According to Bello, the invalidation of the exercise by a court sometimes ago is a temporary setback, which will be reversed very soon.
He said the meeting, which also had the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ronke Odeneye, and Managing Director of Lagos Waste Management Agency, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegeshin, in attendance was convened to seek the buy-in of market leaders, women and men on the government’s zero tolerance for indiscriminate dumping of waste.
He told market women and men in the state who have not engaged the service of PSP waste operators to link up with LAWMA and do so immediately and ensure that no form of waste is taken to the roads henceforth.
He stated that in conjunction with the appointed PSP waste operators, a point within the market must be identified where all the waste generated should be gathered before being carted away.
He assured the market leaders that the State will not hesitate to sanction PSP operators that failed to perform their duties appropriately.
He said the Government would have no option but to shut any market that proves recalcitrant and still harbours refuse or dump same on the roads.
He said as a form of motivation, competitions would be re-introduced to recognise and reward markets adjudged as the cleanest.
In her response, Tinubu-Ojo said she will ensure that market sanitation becomes a daily task that all market leaders will adopt.
She assured that the association was ready to cooperate with the State government to adopt all methods proposed by the government to ensure cleanliness in all markets and environs.