The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to follow the constitutional provisions of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and return the chairmanship position to Delta State.
National President, IYC worldwide, Pereotubo Oweilaemi, Esq., made the call on Monday in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Warri, Delta State.
“The appointment of the present management Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is fraught with illegality.
“The composition of the new Board is not in line with the provisions of the NDDC Establishment Act, 2000, especially section 4 of the Act.
“The Act stated inter alia that the office of the Chairman shall rotate amongst the member-states of the Commission in alphabetical order.
“From available records since the establishment of the Commission, this provision has been the guiding principle in the composition of the Board.
“Thus, Abia produced the first chairman in the person of Oyema Oguchukwu in 2001, followed by Akwa Ibom, Amb. Sam Edem, then Baylesa, Larry Konya and Dr, Timipa respectively, while Cross River got its turn with Bassy Ewa – Henshaw who was appointed by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
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“However, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN who was appointed by Buhari in 2016 completed the state’s turn in the last management Board.
“The next state to produce the chairmanship position according to the alphabetical order is Delta State. President Buhari skipped this time tested principle in flagrant violation of the extant law.
“We will not allow such illegality to fester. IYC will take all lawful steps to right the wrong. The MD position given to Delta State is a Greek gift.
“It is supposed to remain in Bayelsa State following the quantum of oil productions as provided by the NDDC Establishment Act,” the Ijaw youths noted.
The IYC, therefore, requested that the position of the chairman be revised immediately and given to an Ijaw from Delta State, maintaining that all the major ethnic groups, excluding the Ijaw nation, have produced members in the management board of the commission.
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