NDDC Chairman, Onochie Lobbying To Get Mansion, Exotic Cars From Commission, Wants Full Control Over Staff – Sources

Onochie also allegedly wanted the Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, to gift her a mansion, cars as well as full control over contractors.

Aformer aide of President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media and the Chairman of Governing Board of Niger/Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Lauretta Onochie has been accused of lobbying to be a Signatory to the commission’s bank accounts amid other infractions.

Onochie also allegedly wanted the Managing Director, Samuel Ogbuku, to gift her a mansion, cars as well as full control over contractors.

Onochie is the Chairman of Governing Board of the NDDC inaugurated by the Nigerian Government on January 4, 2023, by the Minister of Niger/Delta Affairs, Umana Okon Umana on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari after three years of flip-flop and several court cases which had prevented the commission from having a board.

The new board has been in the news presently, with the Chairman of the commission’s Board, Onochie accusing the management team of the interventionist agency led by Bayelsa State born Dr. Samuel Ogbuku of endemic fraud and sleaze, prompting the current probe of the agency by the Senate.

Onochie, according to sources, also allegedly requested the management of the Commission to buy for her, a mansion but her request was not approved.

Against the run of play, the 68-year-old Onochie also wants the powers to supervise the agency’s staff and contractors and preside over management meetings of the commission.

“She wants to have a full management control over staff, Contractors and the Executive management team. She wants to call the shots from a Part Time, Governing Board perspective which is unknown to all civil service policies, the NDDC establishment act, the BPP and the supervising Ministry of Niger Delta to which we report”, the source said.

However, reacting to the allegations, NDDC spokesman, Dr Ibitoye Abosede told SaharaReporters that he didn’t know anything about the issues raised, noting that the situation had been clarified by the former chairman, Governing Board of the NDDCS, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba.

“I don’t know anything about the issue. I am not a board chairman. Everything about the issue has been clarified by the former chairman, Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba,” Abosede said