NDBDA Workers Threaten To Down Tools …Over Appointment Of ED, Poor Funding

Minister of National Planning, Dr Abubakar Sulaiman (right), signing financial agreement for the 11th European Development Fund Support to strengthen community-based psychosocial and protection services for children and adolescents in Borno State, in Abuja recently. With him is the Head, European Delegation, Mr Michel Arrion.

Crisis is brewing at the head office of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA), Port Harcourt following the appointment of one Mrs Ann Nworie as the new Executive Director, Administration and Finance of the authority.
The Tide learnt that, Mrs Nworie, who hails from Ebonyi State in the South East, geo-political zone of the country was a retiree of the Imo/Anambra Basin Development Authority.
Sources told The Tide that  staff of the authority are warming up to down tools, should the Federal Ministry of Water Resources fail to reverse the appointment.
According to the source, the staff are insisting on the appointment of someone from the catchment area of the authority, consisting of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States as the new Executive Director, Administration and Finance of the Board.
The staff also complained of poor funding, a situation, they said, had denied the Board the opportunities to perform its statutory functions in the three affected states.
A statement, by staff of the Authority titled: “Niger Delta Basin Development Authority Workers Angry with Federal Government”, and made available to The Tide, yesterday said that the workers under the aegis of Agricultural and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN), were vehemently opposed to the appointment of Mrs Nworie from Ebonyi State as Executive Director, Administration and Finance of the authority.
According to the statement, which was unsigned for fear of victimization, “NDBDA has suffered enough neglect over revenue allocation, employment of personnel into positions as compared with their counterparts across the federation”.