South-South leaders urge Buhari not to remove NDDC from Niger Delta ministry

Some notable leaders in the South-South geo-political zone have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to neither accede to the call for the removal of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Ministry of the Niger Delta nor relocate it back to the Presidency. 

They rather gave credit to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for his commitment to the development of the region.

In a statement signed by the spokesman of the South-South Front (SSF), Chief John Harry, the leaders pointed out the many fundamental differences between the opinions of critics and Akpabio’s developmental agenda.

They scolded Akpabio’s critics for confusing NDDC Board with the region’s development, saying ‘’Senator Akpabio’s critics are enemies of the region.’’

The leaders hailed Akpabio for exhibiting rare wisdom, injecting new ideas into the development process of the region, paving the way for many of the changes initiated by the current administration in the region and making NDDC conform to the needs and aspirations of the people.    

They also applauded Akpabio for advocating total, sweeping and radical changes, giving importance to due process and embarking on a complete break from the past.

The group described some members of the Concerned Edo Citizens and Coalition of Edo Volunteers groups, Eni Balulu, Eshiefaotsa Slvanus and Kola Edokpayi, as misguided voices of some politicians and contractors in the country.

‘’Their views did not mirror the changes occurring in the region. It is also absurd to claim as spokesperson of Agitators for Conscience, Izon Ebi does that NDDC is messier than before forensic audit,” the group noted.

The prominent leaders in the zone accused the Executive Director and Coordinator of Project Niger Delta, Princewill Ebebi and National President, Niger Elders Forum, Tonye Ogbogbula of allegedly impeding the progress of the region, placing primary emphasis on prejudice and doing a disservice to the South-South geo-political zone.

Specifically, the leaders dismissed calls for the inauguration of the already cleared members of the NDDC board.

They urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to return the Commission to the Presidency.

The leaders attributed the emphatic stress on the inauguration of a substantive board of NDDC by critics to lack of reason and sentiment.

They advised Edo youths, who called for the inauguration of the already-screened members of the NDDC board, not to turn the zone upside down for a morsel of bread.