Buhari sacks Dan Abia, NDDC boss

Buhari sacks Dan Abia, NDDC boss

By Our Reporter  on December 22, 2015
•Seminitari is acting chairman

By Chinelo Obogo
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the Managing Director and Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Bassey Dan Abia. He was replaced by Ibim Seminitari, who served as commissioner for information in the administration of Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate former governor of Rivers State. Seminitari will serve in Acting capacity.
Abia, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State, was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013. He served two terms as the representative of Akwa Ibom. Different corruption allegations have been levelled against the NDDC, which was created as a response to the demands of the people of Niger Delta.
Prior to his appointment, there was strong opposition to the choice of Abia, who was believed to have enjoyed the backing of Chief Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and the then chairman of the Governors’ Forum of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Responding to a petition which opponents sent to the Presidency, Abia said: “Those writing petitions against me should be bold enough to state clearly what they claim I did wrong, while serving on the NDDC board or shut up forever. My records are very clear and I am ready to defend them at any point in time.”