The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, has ordered the suspension of employment into the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
The order followed alleged irregularities in the plan to recruit about 300 staff into the commission.
The order was issued in a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mrs Didi Walson Jacks, for the minister.
The letter addressed to the Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, Headquarters office, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and dated October 3, 2019, is titled “Suspension of employment into the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.”
It reads in part: “The Honourable Minister’s attention has been drawn to a recent online report titled “Tension in NDDC as Akpabio Interim Management Allegedly Plots to Recruit 300 Staff” alleging illegalities in a purported employment exercise said to be taking place in your commission .
“In view of the foregoing, the Honourable Minister has directed that you suspend forthwith, any such exercise including the handing over of appointment letters, documentation and all other processes connected thereto. For the avoidance of doubt, the commission’s pay roll should not accommodate any new employees and should revert to the status quo as at 31st August, 2019.
“Consequently, you are to furnish the Honourable Minister within three days of the receipt of this letter, with a detailed report of any employment exercise being undertaken by the commission.”
The minister ordered that the suspension should subsist until a due process evaluation of the purported exercise was carried out by the ministry in consultation with the two NNDC committees of the National Assembly.
