COVID-19: Panic as NDDC shut headquarters down after death of executive director

Thursday, May 28, 2020 7:13 pm

The late Ibanga Etang, Executive Director Finance and Administration, NDDC.

…Staff to go 14 days compulsory self-isolation

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Panic has gripped residents of Port Harcourt as controversies surrounding the death of the Acting. Executive Director, Finance and Administration in Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Hon. Ibanga Etang continue.

When the news of the death of Etang filtered in on Thursday morning, there were insinuations that he was poisoned.

But latest information indicated that the Executive Director may have died of the dread COVID-19, a situation which has led to the shutdown of the Corporate headquarters of NDDC by the management of the Commission.

In an internal memo directed to Directors, Heads of Departments/Units and all staff with reference: NDDC/HQ/HAHR/3 issued few hours after the death of Etang, was signed by Silas Anyanwu, the management of NDDC said:”I am directed to inform all staff management has approved that the Commission be shutdown for two weeks from today,28th May 2020.

“Consequently, all activities in the Commission, including ongoing matter are hereby shutdown for time being.

“Members of staff are to ensure that all Electrical appliances in their offices are switched off before leaving the premises.

“The head of security is by this memo directed to work out modalities to ensure to the safety and security of the Commission, while the Director Administration is requested to fumigate the entire offices and premises in the headquarters during the period.

“Meanwhile, staff are enjoined to go into self-isolation for two weeks as they await further directive management.”

The memo directing all NDDC staff to go on strike

Unconfirmed information at NDDC indicated that more than four persons are currently battling with shortness of breath and cough, all symptoms of the Coronavirus disease.

These persons, it was gathered, went to seek medical help from the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, owned by the State Government but were asked to go home without any advise on how to get treated.

The shutting down of NDDC with hundreds of staff may have a disastrous effect in terms of spread of Covid-19 in the city of Port Harcourt and the entire Niger Delta.

This, according to analysts was because contact tracing will be challenging because staff are drawn from all the nine NDDC states while the headquarters also played host to hundreds of visitors on daily basis.

Late Chairman of Asari Toru LGA, Rivers State, Chief Odiari Princewil

Closely related to death of Executive Director Finance and Administration of NDDC, was the shocking news of the death of Chairman of Asari Toru LGA, Rivers State, Chief Odiari Princewill Christopher on Thursday.

The late Odiari, sources say, suffered heart attack the previous night and was rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, where died.