Niger Delta youth advise FG to hold stakeholders’ meeting in oil producing area

THE Ondo State Chapter of Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM) has advised Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that any proposed stakeholders’ meeting on oil in Ondo State should be held in oil producing area.

Its Chairman, Agbejoye Adetoye, gave the advice in an interview with the New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Akure on Tuesday.

Adeoye said the oil producing communities in Ondo State were looking forward to meaningful and positive engagement with the vice president to end the crisis in oil-producing areas.

He said that it was just reasonable that any stakeholders’ meeting on oil in Ondo State be held in the oil producing area of the state.

“We frown at the choice of Akure as venue for the slated meeting meant to address issues of Niger Delta area.

“Any stakeholders’ meeting should be at Igbokoda, the headquarters of the only oil producing local government area in the state,” he said.

Adeoye said a similar stakeholders’ meeting held at Delta State took place at Gbaramatu, which is an oil producing area, and not in Asaba, the state capital.

The NDYM leader also appealed for immediate appointment of the state’s representative to the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the Federal Government.

According to him, NDYM has written two letters to the Federal Government on the need to replicate what has been done in other oil producing states in Ondo State.

Adeoye appealed to the Federal Government to appoint only credible, reputed and knowledgeable indigenes of Niger Delta region to administer oil related ministries, agencies and boards.

He also requested that presidency should devolve more power to state offices of Ministry of Niger Delta and NDDC for effective service delivery, saying they were closer to the people.

“It is pathetic that the office of the Executive Director (Project) in the NDDC headquarters will be run with over N50 million in a month, while a state office gets N1.5 million in a month,’’ he said.

The NDYM leader lamented the lingering poor power supply in oil producing area of Ondo State.

He also called on the state government to engage youths in the oil producing communities in meaningful activities.

“Youth engagement is very important.

“If the roadmap of Niger Delta development captures 78 per cent of the inhabitants as youths and also puts the average life span  at 48 years, then it is a matter of urgency that the youths be engaged on time,” he said.