A group operating under the aegis of Ijaw Youth Leaders Forum of Edo has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to comply with the ultimatum given by the ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, to constitute a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) which has been a subject of debate in the past few weeks.
Tompolo had last Sunday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to inaugurate a substantive Board for the NDDC, vowing that failure to do so would lead to the nation’s economy particularly in the Niger Delta crumbled.
Several other groups thereafter joined Tompolo in the call on the Federal Government to inaugurate the Board for the NDDC for the interest of peace and as spelt out in the Act that established the Commission.
The Edo Ijaw group, after an enlarged meeting of youth leaders drawn from various Ijaw communities in Edo State on Friday, strongly frowned at the “nonchalant altitude in which the APC Federal Government is currently treating the Niger Delta region” which the group described as the economic base of the nation.
The group, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Gbale Joseph, Secretary, Comrade Oluderimo Omaghomi, vowed that after the 7-day ultimatum and the NDDC Board is not inaugurated, they are going to shut down all oil exploration activities taking place in all Ijaw communities in Edo State.
While lamenting that the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, is also being managed by an Interim Coordinator, the group stated that this is alien to both NDDC and PAP.
The statement reads in part, “We wish to state that the current interim management board is alien to us in the region and a contravention of the NDDC Act.
“We strongly frown at the nonchalant altitude in which the APC Federal Government is currently treating the Niger Delta region which is the economic base of the nation, as even the Presidential Amnesty Program is also been managed by an interim coordinator.”
The statement continues, “We wish to state that we have implicit confidence in our leader, High Chief Government Ekpemopolo, the Ibe-Ebidowie of Ijaw nation, and state our firm support on his stand regarding the seven-day ultimatum.”
While stating that most Ijaw communities in Edo State had been disconnected from the state capital due to the abandoned 45 kilometres Udo-Ofunama road project by NDDC, the group frowned at such abandonment.
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