The Senate on Monday screened and confirmed Mark Okoye and Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji as Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers of the South East Development Commission, SEDC, and North West Development Commission ,NWDC.
The confirmation followed Senate’s consideration and adoption of the recommendations of its ad hoc Committee on Regional Development Commissions, headed by Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), which screened the nominees.
The Senate also confirmed board members of NWDC. The are: Alhaji Lawal Samai’la Abdullahi (Chairman), Professor Abdullahi Shehu Ma’aji (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer).
Others are: Dr. Yahaya Umar Namahe, Aminu Suleiman, Ja’afar Abubakar Sadeeq, Yahaya Aminu Abdullahi, Muhammad Ali Wudil, Shamsu Sule, Nasidi Ali, Chukwu Chijtoke, Ahmed Mohammed, Ahmed Rufai Timasantyu, Macdonalds Michael Uyi and Babatunde Dada.
The Senate also confirmed the following 18 nominees for appointment as members of the South East Development Commission with Dr. Emeka Nworgu as Chairman and Mark Okoye as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Others are: Ugochukwu Agballah, Okey Ezenwa, Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, Chidi Echeazu, Ifeanyi Agwu, Nasiru Usman, Hamma Adama Ali Kumo, Edward David Onoja, Orure Kufre Inima, Daniel Akwari, Mrs. Joke Adebayo-Chukwuma, Stanley Ohajuruka (ED Finance), Chief Sylvester Okonkwo (ED Corporate Services), Toby Okechukwu (ED Projects), Senator Anthony Agbo (ED Commercial and Industrial Development) and Dr. Clifford Ogbeide (ED Natural Resources, Agriculture and Rural Development).
In the committee’s report, Kalu said the nominees proved their capacities to pilot the affairs of the regional development commissions.
But a mild drama ensued as some legislators attempted to invoke Order (1b) to step down the confirmation process for further consultations.
The move was unsuccessful as the Senate voted to dissolve into the Committee of the Whole to consider the report during which all the nominees for both commissions were approved.
