President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed the Director of Education, Health and Social Services of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana Atako, as its Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, conveyed the President’s decision to the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, Dr. Tarilah Tebepah, in a letter he read at the Board’s valedictory session last week, an NDDC statement said Tuesday.
According to the SGF, Dr. Atako’s appointment takes effect from August 7. He directed the outgoing Managing Director/CEO to handover all the Commission’s property in his possession to the Acting Managing Director/CEO.
Her appointment comes on the heels of the expiration of the tenure of Dr. Chris Oboh as Managing Director/CEO.
Dr. Atako, one of the pioneer staffers of the NDDC, was Assistant Director and Acting Head of Community and Rural Development Directorate at the inception of the Commission. Before then, she was Assistant Director and Head of Public Affairs Department of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission from 1995 to 2001. Subsequently, she became Deputy Director, Community and Rural Development; Head, Corporate Affairs and Director, Community and Rural Development.
An avid reader and researcher, Dr. Atako is a first class honours graduate of English from the University of Sokoto. She also holds a master’s degree, a doctorate of philosophy, with emphasis on Social Psychology, a postgraduate diploma in Public Relations as well as two postgraduate certificates in Cross-Sector Partnerships and Conflict Resolution Skills, the statement added.
She is a Fellow of several professional bodies, such as Institute of Strategic Management, Certified Institute of Public Administration & Management, Certified Directors Institute, Strategic Finance & Administrative Institute, as well as Institute of Corporate Managers and Public Administrators. She is also a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) and the Institute of Management Consultants.
The Acting Managing Director/CEO is a recipient of numerous awards and prizes among which are National Youth Service Corps Oyo State Merit Award, University of Sokoto Merit Award and American Biographical Institute’s Great Woman of the 21ST century Award. She is also a Goodwill Ambassador of the University of Calabar, the statement by Abosede, I.A, NDDC’s Head of Corporate Affairs stated.