announce the death of its Acting Executive Director, Finance and
Administration, Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang. He died in the early hours of
Thursday in Port Harcourt.
This announcement is coming at this time because of the need to inform
family members. The Commission is not aware of the cause of his death as
at the time of this release (6.45pm on Friday, 29, 2020).
In line with fears of the current time, the Commission took the
precautionary measure of temporarily shutting down its headquarters for
two weeks. Staff were also asked to self-isolate. This action does not
presuppose the cause of death.
An autopsy report is being expected and when this is ready, it would be
released with the consent of the family.
The NDDC is, therefore, miffed by spurious and uncharitable coloration
being championed by mischief makers on the occasion of the demise of
Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang, whose untimely death occurred at the early
hours of Thursday the 28th of May 2020.
The Commission is on course to issuing a comprehensive fact-based
statement in consonance with the bereaved family, but for the
unwarranted and unsubstantiated reportage which is flying in devilish
propensities.
Until the autopsy report is release from the Commission’s stables, every
story on this matter, flies in the face of truth.
The Commission also wishes to state that the rumours over the internal
memo for staff of the Commission to stay away, so that sanitary and
hygienic cleaning of the Commission can take place, is most unfortunate.
The idea behind it is purely precautionary.
The commission wishes, therefore, to appeal to those mean spirited,
whose ambition is to always turn truth on its head, to seek a path of
repentance.
The NDDC is determined to deliver on its core mandate to the good people
of the Niger Delta region. Neither slander nor provocative insinuations
will deter us.