THE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has a new Acting Managing Director.

He is Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei.

He replaces Dr Joi Nunieh, a lawyer, who had been heading the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC) since inception.

Pondei is a professor of medicine at the Niger Delta University and former provost of the institution’s College of Health Sciences.

A statement on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, gave no reason for replacing Nunieh.

The statement reads: “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the enlargement of the IMC of the NDDC from three to five.

“President Buhari has reorganized the IMC of the NDDC, replacing Barr Joi Nunieh with Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei as Acting Managing Director.

“The President also increased the number of the committee members from three to five persons, including Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Acting Executive Director (Projects); Mr Ibanga Bassey Etang, Acting Executive Director (Finance and Administration); Mrs Caroline Nagbo (Member); and Cecilia Bukola Akintomide, OON, a former Vice President with African Development Bank, (Member).

“President Buhari had earlier approved that the IMC would be in place till the forensic audit of the NDDC was concluded.”

Niger Delta Affairs Minister Godswill Akpabio, who appointed the IMC, said last December 9 that the NDDC governing the board was yet to be inaugurated because there was an error in its composition.

He said the board composition was being reviewed despite the members being confirmed by the Senate.

The Senate last November 5 confirmed 15 of President Buhari’s nominees and rejected one.

Chief Press Secretary to Akpabio, Aniete Ekong, said that there were issues with the board-designate which needed to be resolved.

According to him, in line with the NDDC Act, it was the turn of Delta State to produce the chairman, rather than Edo State where the then chairman-designate hailed from.