By Eric Teniola

PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Chief Godwin Eyarubere Omene, the first indigenous deputy Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, the first Managing Director of NDDC. Chief Omene is from Delta State. President Obasanjo also appointed Chief Onyema Ugochukwu (76) as the pioneer Chairman of NDDC. He is from Abia State. Ugochukwu joined the Daily Times group as an Economic Analyst and a pioneer staff of what would later become publisher of the most influential financial newspaper in Nigeria.

Ugochukwu rose in the ranks to become the Editor of the Business Times newspaper (1977 to 1982). In 1983, Ugochukwu became Editor in Chief of the London-based West Africa magazine, where he wrote extensively on development issues, to provide a better understanding of the African debt crisis. Mr. Timi Ndutimi Alaibe from Bayelsa State later succeeded Chief Omene as Managing Director of NDDC between 2007 and 2009.

After leaving the Senate in 2007, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw from Cross River State was appointed the Chairman of NDDC. He later handed over to Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba also from Cross River State.

Between 2006 and now, the following have served as managing director or chairman of NDDC – Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Chairman of the Governing Board, 2016–2019; Mr. Nsima Ekere, Managing Director/CEO, from Akwa Ibom State, 2016-2019; Mr. Mene Derek, Executive Director, Finance and Admin, 2016-2019; and Engr. Adjogbe Samuel, Executive Director, Project, 2016-2019. Till date, no one from Ondo or Imo State has been appointed chairman or managing director of NDDC, contrary to what was contained in the bill.

Others appointed either as chairman or managing director or executive director or on acting capacity from 2007 till date include Dr. Christy Otako, Dr. Itotehaan Henri Ogiri, Chief Dan Abia, Dr. Tarilah Tebepah, Mr. Pius Odubu, Mr. Nelson Brambarifa, Bernard Okumugba, Otobong Ndem, Maxwell Okoh, Air Vice Marshall Larry Koinyan, Chibuzor Ugwuoha, Christian Oboh, L.E.J. Konboye, Dr. Joi Nunieh, Chief Isaac Jemide and others. None of these persons are from either Ondo or Imo states.

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I am aware that as at June 2018, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa produced 90.1 per cent of Nigeria’s total crude oil. But the production varies and is not static. As at last year for example, the graph shows that 1. Akwa Ibom produced 504,000 barrels per day (1st), Delta – 346,000 bpd (2nd), Rivers – 344,000 bpd (3rd), Bayelsa – 290,000 bpd (4th), Ondo – 60,000 bpd (5th), Lagos – 40,000 bpd (6th), Edo – 33,000 bpd (7th), Imo – 17, 000 bpd (8th) and Abia – 11,000 bpd (9th). Oil wells in Cross River were ceded to Akwa Ibom after Cameroun took over Bakassi.

Of interest, it is one local government, the Ilaje Local Government out of the 18 local government in Ondo State that produces oil and they have capable sons and daughters who can represent them in the NDDC outfit. Ilaje local government area of Ondo State lies along the Atlantic coast of Nigeria and is situated 133km south of Akure, the state capital.

The entire area lies between Longitude 4°282  and 5°12  east of the Greenwich Meridian and Latitude 5°512 and 6°212 north of the Equator.

It is bounded in the southwest by Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, Ogun State, and in the southeast by Warri-West Local Government Area, Delta State. The northwest and the northeast are bordered by Okitipupa local Government Area and Ese-Odo Local Government Area respectively, both in Ondo State.

The local government is made up of about one hundred small towns and villages with the prominent ones including Igbokoda, the local government headquarters, Mahin, Ayetoro, Ugbo-Nla, and Zion-Pepe.

The 1991 population census of the Federal Republic of Nigeria puts the population of the area at about 270,000. The coastal part of the local government, which forms about 70 percent of the total land area consists mainly of mangrove swamps and rivers, and is flooded during raining season.

There are four segments in Ilaje – Ugbo, Mahin, Etikan and Aheri. Ugboland is the only oil producing area in Ilaje Local Government that is producing oil.

Asking for chairman or managing director or executive director by Ondo and Imo states in the NDDC is a legitimate demand and the President should consider the request.

VANGUARD