The Founder of Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) and former Bayelsa state governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, Moses Siloko Siasia, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to give more time to the acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, to reposition the commission for optimal performances.
The 36-year-old CEO of Mosilo Group, a multi-billion naira business empire, with investments in engineering, real estate, oil and gas, agro processing and project management, argued that Mrs.
Semenitari is championing the restructuring of the commission to meet the yearning of Niger Delta in line with the agenda of the president. Ibim Semenitari "I will appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to give Mrs. Semenitari more time to complete the restructuring of the commission so that it can contribute meaningfully to the development of the Niger Delta. She is dogged and committed, unbiased and incorruptible in the discharge of her responsibilities," he said.
Siasia added that effort by the acting MD of the NDDC is beginning to show in the region by ensuring that projectes awarded by the previous administration are executed. "Since she assumed office, there has been a turnaround in the activities of NDDC. She is employing the standardized project management process in the execution of projects. This is in line with President Buhari mantra of change," he noted.
Siasia who argued that some politicians from Akwa Ibom are already jostling for the post, urged President Buhari to be mindful of them, stressing that history has shown that the best days of the commission are when technocrats and not career politicians head its affair. "Records are there to show that the commission performs well when professionals are engaged to head it, rather than the career politicians.
I am sure if the president gives her more time, she will turn the place around and whenever, the president deems it fit to appoint someone from Akwa Ibom, he can look within the commission rather than these career politicians lobbying for the post," he submitted. It will be recalled that President Buhari appointed Mrs. Semenitari, an award-winner journalist and media manager, as Acting MD of NDDC in December, 2015.
Mrs. Semenitari, a former Commissioner of Information and Communications in Rivers State under the administration of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, also served in the Communications Directorate of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation. Recall Siasia was among leading African business men listed by Choiseul Institute for International Politics and Geo-economics in its ranking of the top 200 young economic leaders of Africa.
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