Traditional Rulers allege lopsidedness in NDDC appointments

THE body of traditional monarchs in the oil producing areas of Nigeria under the auspices of the Traditional Rulers of the Oil Minerals Producing Areas of Nigeria (TROMPCON) has decried what it called glaring lopsidedness in the appointment of persons to senior political positions in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The body said NDDC since inception has refused to abide by the provision of Section 12 of its Act that stipulates how to fill its top political positions.

The section states that, 'there shall be for the Commission, a Managing Director and two Executive Directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas starting with the member state of the Commission with the highest production quantum of oil and shall rotate amongst member states in order of production.'

But NDDC has limited the occupation of the three topmost positions to only four states of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Delta and Bayelsa, said the royalties.

National Chairman of TROMCON who is also the Amapetu of Mahin Kingdom in Ilaje local council of Ondo State, Oba Lawrence Omowole in a letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan said the commission has been violating this act consistently.

Though the four states mentioned are the topmost producers of oil, but NDDC act does not exclude other oil-bearing states from benefiting from the appointment.

The letter reads thus: 'since the inception of the NDDC in 2000, the position of the MD and the EDs have circulated exclusively among Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom and Rivers.

'In our opinion, Mr. President, the monopoly of the three positions by the four states is in breach of the clear provision of the above cited section of the NDDC Act, and offensive to the spirit of equity, fairness and inclusiveness most desired for the unity, peace and development of the land and people of our region.'