NDDC Board: Ondo HostCom rejects Abegunde, Akinjo’s appointments

threatens to shut down oil facilities, if…

By Nsikak Ekpenyong

The Ondo State Host Community (HostCom) expressed strong opposition to the appointment of Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde and Hon. Victor Kolade Akinjo to the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

In a press conference held in Abuja on Friday, Prince Ogundere Adejugba, Chairman of the HostCom, stated that these nominees are not from the oil-producing community, contradicting the Legislative Act that stipulates the state’s representatives must originate from such communities in the Niger-Delta.

“We are rejecting the nominees based on the established laws of the NDDC. The HostCom has competent sons and daughters who can represent us on the board of the NDDC,” Adejugba said.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to review the NDDC Act before making nominations and assigning portfolios, expressing faith in the president’s commitment to the rule of law.

Adejugba highlighted the Ugbo Kingdom as the sole oil-producing community in Ondo state and warned the state government against conspiracies targeting the kingdom.

He urged the federal government to withdraw the current nominee list and make fresh nominations from the Ugbo Kingdom, emphasizing that the HostCom had written to the President, his Chief of Staff, and the National Security Adviser with this request.

The Chairman warned that if the government fails to address their concerns, the HostCom may take matters into its own hands, with potential repercussions felt by all.

“Should the federal government persist in violating the law, we will support such actions, albeit with the intention of ensuring that their consequences are felt by all,” Adejugba warned.

In a letter to the National Security Adviser, the HostCom reiterated the need for appointees to the NDDC board to come from oil-producing communities, citing a history of such nominations since the board’s inception in 2000.

The letter revealed that previous appointees not from these communities led to legal disputes, with cases filed in Federal High Courts in Abuja and Akure.

The HostCom implored the National Security Adviser to recommend someone from the Ugbo Kingdom for board membership and convene a meeting with stakeholders to verify the original oil producers in Ondo state.

The letter concluded with a cautionary note, threatening to shut down oil facilities if their concerns are not addressed.