Fresh crisis looms over the Niger Delta Development Commission as ex-militants in the region have given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum within which to replace the NDDC Chairman-nominee, Lauretta Onochie, with Chief Bernard Okumagba.
The ex-militants gave the ultimatum in a statement signed by their leader, ‘General’ Peter Aghogho, who is also the President of the Urhobo Youth Council, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Tuesday.
Consequently, the ex-militants gave the Federal Government a 14-day deadline to appoint Okumagba in place of Onochie, noting that Okumagba had been passed by the National Assembly in 2019 for the position of the Managing Director of the Commission, and they thought it odd that the President, Muhammadu Buhari would send a new list of candidates to the Senate.
According to the ex-militants, the appointment of Onochie, who is from Aniocha North, a Delta State region that does not produce oil, was in violation of the NDDC Act.
