The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has officially announced the death of its acting Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Ibanga Etang, saying the cause of death has not been established.
The commission raised fears of coronavirus after it shut down its headquarters for two weeks following Mr Etang’s death on Thursday.
But NDDC Director of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, in a statement on Saturday, said Etang died from yet-to-be ascertained illness.
Etang was a member of the five-man Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to help create an enabling environment for the forensic audit of NDDC finances.
“NDDC management wishes to announce the death of Chief Ibanga Etang, who died in the early hours of Thursday in Port Harcourt,” the statement read.
“This announcement is coming at this time because it was important to inform his family members first.
“However, the commission is not aware of the cause of his death as at the time of issuing this press statement.”
The spokesman further debunked speculations linking the planned decontamination of NDDC headquarters to the death of Etang.
According to Odili, the temporal shutdown was precautionary and not related to the demise of its acting executive director.
He said: “The NDDC management also directed staff to self-isolate. However, this action does not presuppose the cause of death of Etang.
“The idea behind it is purely precautionary. An autopsy report is being expected and when this is ready, it would be released with the consent of the family.
“Until the autopsy report is released from the commission’s stables, every story on this matter flies in the face of truth.
“The commission is miffed by these spurious and uncharitable colourations being championed by mischief makers on the occasion of the demise of Etang.”
