The query comes in the wake of a face off between the NDDC board and the management over many issues
The Managing Director, MD of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku has been served a query over the purported Memorandum of Understanding, MoU for the construction of a coastal railway in the Niger Delta area.
The query was issued by the chairman of the NDDC governing board, Ms Lauretta Onochie on the directive of the president, multiple sources privy to the development disclosed at the weekend.
The query comes in the wake of a face off between the NDDC board and the management over many issues including the Public Private Partnership, PPP summit organized at Eko Hotel, Lagos last Tuesday. There was much outrage in the Niger Delta region by stakeholders with the decision to hold the summit and especially outside the region in Lagos.
The summit was boycotted by the NDDC board chairman, Ms Onochie and most of the board members including the chairman of the NDDC committee on PPP.
The highlight of the summit was the signature of a $15 billion agreement to build a railway linking the nine Niger Delta States.
However, following the summit, Ms Onochie disowned the summit and the MoU on the claim that the Managing Director lacked powers to sign a contract on behalf of the NDDC, a duty she quoted from the establishment act was vested in the chairman of the commission. She further disclosed that the contract signed by the MD was superfluous on the claim that the Federal Executive Council had in August 2021 awarded a similar contract.
Arising from the controversy, Ms Onochie on the instruction of the president has now issued the NDDC Managing Director a query asking him to reply within 72 hours why disciplinary actions should not be taken against him over the issue.
GWG.ng