Lauretta Onochie has poor understanding of governance – Group

The Niger Delta Diaspora Professionals Forum (NDDPF), a global platform of professionals from the Niger Delta region, has asked the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC), Ms Lauretta Onochie, to reach out to her predecessors for counselling.

The group said this in reaction to Onochie’s stance on NDDC’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with a company based in the United States.

In a statement, Kingsley Obot, the organisation’s secretary, described an individual who masquerades as a promoter of good governance.

According to the group, the content of her statement exposed her doubtful educational background.

The group said her recent utterances had become a source of embarrassment to the government and the region.

NDDPF clarified that the NDDC Act is clear as to the supervisory role of the chairman which does not in any way amount to involvement in the day-to-day running of the commission.

“As such, the Chairman is being misguided,” it said.

“As an organisation that has existed for more than twenty years, several boards have served in the Commission and there is precedence as to how previous Chairmen of NDDC have discharged their part time responsibilities.

“Rather than continue to make herself a subject of laughter across the country and bring ridicule to stakeholders in the region, it view of the forum that Ms Onochie should seek counsel from those who have occupied that office before her.

“It is misleading for Ms Onochie to imply that only a Chairman can sign an MOU on behalf of an organisation. While the consent of the board of an organisation ought to be obtained for a project of such magnitude, Ms Lauretta should admit to the fact that many board members were present at the signing ceremony in Lagos.

“The absence of the Chairman as an individual should not be equated to mean the non-involvement of the board.”

The group observed that the signing of the MOU is a useful step that sent a positive sign to private sector players across the world that the Niger Delta is opening up once again for investment.

The group commended the management of NDDC under Samuel Ogbuku for the “bold vision to rewind the Commission to learn from the past in order to lead to change and rebirth.”