…Appointments show Tinubu passionate about NDDC
..Elders lN’Delta youths vow to work with new mgt
…MOSIEND hails Tinubu for reconstituting board
…Scrap Niger Delta Ministry, oil communities tell Tinubu
By Dapo Akinrefon, Samuel Oyadongha, Daniel Abia, Davies Iheamnachor, & Emma Una, CALABAR—
PROTEST rocked Cross River State, yesterday, over the appointment of a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, board for the state by President Bola Tinubu.
Youths under the aegis of Cross River Youths Alliance, stormed major streets in the city bearing placards with various inscriptions to reject the appointment of Asu Okang, a former Commissioner for Information in the state, as a representative in the NDDC board.
The youths who assembled at Eleven-Eleven field on the Murtala Muhammed highway marched to the All Progressives Congress, APC, secretariat, while chanting songs to express their displeasure over the appointment of Okang, whom they said was in “error.”
Addressing the youths in his office, the state Chairman of APC, Alphonsus Eba, said the appointment would not stand because it was tantamount to grave injustice to oil-producing areas of the state, where the appointment should go to and called for calm.
Appointments shows Tinubu passionate about NDDC —N-Delta leaders
This came as some stakeholders in Niger Delta, yesterday, commended President Tinubu for appointing Mr Chiedu Ebie as the new chairman of NDDC and retaining Samuel Ogbuku as the Managing Director, saying it shows the president was passionate about the vision of the commission.
Speaking on the appointment, a traditional ruler and Chairman, Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Bubaraye Dakolo said he was happy that President Tinubu appointed a substantive board on time, unlike previous governments who put in place interim administrations.
Dakolo said: “I want to particularly thank the President for appointing this board on time. In the past, we have suffered situations where we have interim administrations forever. So, I want to thank him so much for retaining Ogbuku, whom I know personally. I believe that same quality of personalities are appointed in all the states.”
Urgent screening of appointees
Meanwhile, National Coordinator, South-South Leadership Forum, His Highness Anabs Sara-Igbe, has called on the National Assembly to urgently screen the persons appointed by President Tinubu, so they could resume their constitutional duties at NDDC.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Sara-Igbe described the appointments as apt, calling on the Senate to quickly screen the individuals, so they could be approved to resume duties.
Sara-Igbe, an elder statesman, said there has been jubilation in the Niger Delta over the appointments, expressing confidence in the capacity of Ogbuku to make the needed difference.
Sara-Igbe said: “We also thank President Tinubu, the ‘Jagaban’ for the appointment of members of Board of Directors of NDDC and the retention of Dr Ogbuku as the substantive managing director of the commission.”
Scrap Niger Delta Ministry, oil communities tell Tinubu
In another development, oil and gas bearing communities of Niger Delta have called on President Tinubu to save the NDDC from incessant financial crisis by scrapping the Niger Delta Development Ministry.
The oil communities noted that to give the NDDC a sense of direction and avoid undue interference in its daily affairs, NDDC needs to be detached from the strangle hold of the Ministry and its finances directed to boost the treasury of the commission.
Speaking shortly after the announcement of the new NDDC board in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Joseph Ambakederimo, Convener, South-South Reawakening Group, SSRG, and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Community Development Committees of Niger Delta Oil and Gas Producing Areas, CDC, said such decision was necessary to enable the NDDC perform maximally within the context of available resources.
Ambakederimo, however, said the reappointment of Ogbuku shows clearly the grasp of the President of the challenges of the oil producing areas of the Niger Delta.
He said: “The policy direction of Ogbuku as enunciated in the last eight months of his leadership must have resonated well with the President’s aspiration for the region which must have led the President to have settled for his leadership.”
Ambakederimo called on President Tinubu to “scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta Development because the MNDD since its creation 12 years ago has failed woefully with no verifiable project traced to it, including having overlapping functions with the NDDC.
MOSIEND hails Tinubu for reconstituting board
On its part, Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta, MOSIEND, has commended President Tinubu for reconstituting the board of NDDC.
Mr Kenedy Tonjo-West, National President of MOSIEND, who made the commendation while reacting to the development in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said: “We are grateful to President Tinubu for the reconstitution of NDDC board and retaining Ogbuku to lead the management team as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.
“Mr President exercised great discretion in exempting NDDC from the dissolution of boards by retaining Ogbuku to keep running the NDDC until this revalidation.
“The stakeholders from the region applaud President Tinubu for this gesture which will ensure continuity in the development of the region.
“We congratulate Ogbuku and urge him to remain focused and leverage on his expertise as a development expert and justify the confidence reposed on him by the President.”
N’Delta youths vow to work with Ogbuku
Meanwhile, youths of Niger Delta have promised to work with Ogbuku to ensure he succeeds in the mandate of developing the region.
South South Youths Initiative, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, by its National President, Imeabe Saviour, described Ogbuku as reliable and a man of character, noting that his retention has aroused jubilation in all parts of the nine states of the region, adding that the development would sustain peace in Niger Delta.
He said: “We are most thankful to President Tinubu for retaining Ogbuku as the substantive Managing Director of the commission. This decision will surely rebuild the trust the people of Niger Delta have that Mr. President is interested in the development of our oil rich region.
“We congratulate Ogbuku on this appointment and pray for God’s guidance and grace to pilot the affairs of the commission. These appointments have duly sparked a round of celebration in all parts of the region.
“The appointments are indeed laudable and appropriate. We are very optimistic and confident that Ogbuku will not disappoint Mr. President, as he will rebuild the trust our people have earlier lost in the NDDC.
“We, however, call on stakeholders, groups and individuals in Abuja and the nine states of Niger Delta to allow the team work without interference. They should shun all acts that will deter the newly constituted Board and the Management Team to run a full term of four years as provided for in the NDDC Act 2000.”
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