President Muhammadu Buhari says the appointment of a new board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been put on hold.
Buhari stated this in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and read at the plenary session by Lawan.
He stated that he had directed that a forensic audit of the commission be carried out and supervised by the interim management of the commission.
The president stated: “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 the confirmation by the senate.”
“The senate may wish to note that after the dissolution of the board of NDDC, an interim management team was set up to manage the affairs of the commission before a new board was composed and sent for the senate confirmation,” he stated.
Also, the senate president, Ahmad Lawan, read at the plenary session, a letter from Buhari, seeking the confirmation of senate for appointment of Dr Kingsley Obiora as Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Other letters from Buhari seeking senate confirmation for appointments included the appointments of Prof. Adeolu Akande, as Chairman representing South West, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and Mr Uche Onwude, as member, representing South East.
A letter seeking confirmation for the appointment of Capt. Musa Nuhu as Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, was also read at the plenary session.
Earlier, the senate president said at the end of a closed-door session that the senate had resolved to focus on issues of electoral reform, Petroleum Industry Governance Bill in its deliberations.
Lawan also said the senate would debate extensively on the current security situation in the country on the next legislative day.
