THE leadership of Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and the Leadership of Benin National Congress, BNC, yesterday lauded President Muhammadu Buhari over the recent composition of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. A statement by the chairman and secretary of NUJ, Sir Roland Osakue (JP) and Comrade Titus Akhigbe noted that the appointment of Dr Pius Odubu as chairman of the Board was a clear indication that Mr. President must have been impressed by his achievements as Deputy Governor under the then government of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his massive contributions to the re-election of the President.
The Union, however urged the former deputy Governor to see the appointment as a call to national service and he should use the position to attract development to Edo and other Niger-Delta States. Meanwhile a statement by the Vice President, Mobilisation, BNC, Comrade Osaro Joseph Obazee said the appointment of Odubu and other members of the board was a case of square pegs in square holes equation. He said; “The amazing jubilation that greeted the recent composition of the Niger Delta Development Commission board by President Buhari in core oil producing communities clearly depict that the acceptability of the appointees symptomize the tuning of redemption song in a highly pauperized and neglected habitat.
The jubilants in their native dialects commended President Buhari for considering the pair of Dr. Pius Odubu and Bernard Okumagba as Chairman of Board and Managing Director respectively in a fashion clearly pointing at a new era of transparency, needs assessment driven management policy as well as purposeful youth engagement paradigm.”
