Conference of Presidents-General of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities (CPGNDEN) have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to abide by the NDDC Establishment Act.
In the communique issued after its meeting, the Group called on President Muhammadu Buhari “to keep his promise and inaugurate a substantive board for NDDC following the submission of the forensic report, and in line with the law establishing the agency,”
The Group noted that the Niger Delta was in dire need of development which the absence of the board has so far stalled.
The communique which was read by its President, Professor Benjamin Okaba, CPGNDEN also contended that the running of the NDDC by a sole administrator was contrary to the law establishing the commission.
To drive home it’s demands, CPGNDEN over the weekend staged a protest march to highlight the injustice by the Federal Government to the Niger Delta people.
Addressing protesters at the march, Prof. Okaba, who is also the President of Ijaw National Congress (INC) stated “The Federal Government should leave the NDDC for the Niger Delta people.”
According to him, “Inaugurate the (NDDC) Board now. We are tired of seeing NDDC in the hands of a family. Interim managers upon interim managers have taken over NDDC as if it is a family affair. As we speak, monies are spent, people are employed, yet there is no representation from any of the constituent states on policy issues. We have decided to take it upon ourselves to engage the public on these protests and we believe that the Federal Government will take us very seriously because doing otherwise is to their peril.”
In his own remark at the protest march, Prof. Chris Akpotu, Secretary of CPGNDEN, and President-General of Isoko Development Union (IDU) restated that what Niger Deltans demand is an NDDC “substantive board that will ensure even and equitable distribution of the development programmes as far as the Niger delta is concerned. We are equally concerned about the NNPC road infrastructure programme of the Federal Republic where all the states of the Niger Delta are obviously marginalised.”
Prince Biira, President, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni people (MOSOP) remarked that “Interim Caretaker-ship of the NDDC is a symbol of corruption; it’s a symbol of misappropriation. The essence of that Commission (NDDC) is to develop the Niger Delta area. They should put the structures of the Board in place as quickly as possible.”
According to The Conference of Presidents-General of Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities (CPGNDEN), the timely intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari would douse the growing tension in the region.
CPGNDEN also kicked against moves to include Bauchi, Ogun and Lagos as new oil-producing states in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).