The attention of Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan has been drawn to a news item published by Punch Newspaper yesterday September 10, 2008 entitled: “Jonathan asks N’Delta governors to nominate Ijaw into technical committee” in which it was reported that the Vice President asked Delta State and two other states to nominate an Ijaw into the technical committee on Niger Delta following an initial omission. The newspaper also reported that Governor Uduaghan nominated two Itsekiris into the committee.

His Excellency wishes to correct key errors of fact contained in that publication. Contrary to the report by Punch, His Excellency wishes to state that after the meeting between the governors and the Vice President to setup the technical committee and in which three nominees were to be selected from the three senatorial zones of each of the Niger Delta states, he made a special case for Delta State on account of ethnic composition of the state to have five nominees, one each for Isoko, Ijaw, Urhobo, Ndokwa and Itsekiri, to represent each ethnic nationality of the state. An argument that was accepted by the Vice President.

In his original nominations, Governor Uduaghan sent the names of the following: Prof Omafume Onoge, (Urhobo) Senator James Manager, ( Ijaw) Chief Isaac Jemide (Itsekiri) Prof BIC Ijomah (Ndokwa) and Senator Stella Omu (Isoko). The nomination of Mr. Sam Amuka was done by the office of the Vice President. However, after sending the list from Delta State, the office of the Vice President in its wisdom dropped Senator Manager without reverting back to the Delta State governor to send a replacement for the Ijaw ethnic group.

On noticing this anomaly, when the list of members was announced, Governor Uduaghan called the Vice President’s office and was informed that Senator Manager was dropped because he is a government man. To make up for this error, the Vice President’s office after apologizing to Governor Uduaghan for not reverting back to him asked him to nominate a replacement, which he did promptly by nominating General Cletus Emein (rtd) and requested that he be inaugurated with other members of the committee.

Signed

Paul Odili

Manager Communications to the Governor