Buhari appoints his former rottweiler Lauretta Onochie as new NDDC chairperson

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has appointed his former special assistant on new media Lauretta Onochie as the substantive chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Highly controversial, Ms Onochie was considered the president's attack dog during the early part of his tenure, taking on all of his political opponents. So unpopular was she that in July last year, the senate bowed to pressure from civil society groups and the opposition and refused to confirm Ms Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commission commissioner after she was nominated by the president.

Undeterred, President Buhari has sent her name to the senate again as part of a 15-person list of NDDC officials. In the lest read out by senate president Senator Ahmed Lawan, Chief Samuel Ogbokwu, from Bayelsa State, was named as the managing director, to serve for a term of two years.

President Buhari also nominated Major General Charles Airhiavbere from Edo State as the executive director, finance and Charles Ogunmola from Ondo State, as the executive director, projects. All these appointments need to be approved by the senate before the nominees can assume office.