Urges Buhari to listen to the yearnings of N’Delta people
Ijaw youths from the constituent states of the Niger Delta region under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Council have faulted the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a Sole Administrator to oversee the affairs of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC until the completion of a forensic audit.
The Ijaw Youths maintained that even though President Buhari has the constitutional authority to sack the Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC), the action is defective without the inauguration of a substantive management board as already cleared by the Senate.
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The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, in a statement signed by its National Spokesman, Comrade Ebilade Erekefe, insist that the move to name Effiong Okon Akwa as the Interim head of NDDC without the appointment of Executive Director Projects (EDP) and Executive Director of Finance and Administration(EDFA) in the commission “is a deliberate act of encouraging the re-looting of billions of naira recovered by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) from contractors.”
The IYC said in its statement: “Under the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, it has become a pattern that all appointments that is supposed to benefit the people of the Niger Delta region directly have been temporal, instead of substantive, whereas, in the north where the president comes from, that is not the situation.
“This attitude of undermining the Niger Delta region with contempt by the Federal Government is gradually signalling signs of obscurities.
“Therefore if deliberate steps are not taking to renew the confidence of trust between the region and the Federal Government, the situation will spiral and get out of control and all the efforts that stakeholders have put in the stabilization of the region will be defeated.”
The IYC also noted that these reservations were also already expressed by the National Assembly minority caucus, Hon Ndudi Elumelu , the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers and many other stakeholders from the Niger Delta region who are desirous of ensuring accelerated development of the region.
The IYC statement added: “It is becoming a dangerous precedent for the president’s continued decisions of appointing interim and sole administrators to oversee sensitive institutions within the region just like the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, rather than substantive.
“This particular appointment of a sole administrator of the NDDC is annoying and it is sending provocative signals to agitating groups and the people of the region.
“The president should reverse this unpopular and unconstitutional decision and appoint a substantive board made up of credible individuals for the commission which is long overdue.”
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Recall that Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina had onSaturday night announced Buhari’s appointment of Effiong Okon Akwa as the sole administrator of the NDDC.
Akwa, who was the Ag. Executive Director, Finance and Administration of the Commission is expected to oversee the affairs of the commission till the end of the ongoing forensic audit.
