Ex-agitators have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately dissolve the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) following lack of youth empowerment by the commission.
The Nation reports that the ex-warlords under the auspices Third Phase Federal Government Amnesty Programme also urged Buhari to relieve the Managing Director of the commission, Mr Nsima Ekere, of his appointment to enable him to focus on his political ambitions.
They accused the board of insensitivity and loss of focus in evolving policies and programmes to empower the youths and curb criminality in the region.
The Secretary-General of the Third Phase, Mr Karo Edor, aka OBJ, in a statement in Yenagoa on Saturday, claimed that Ekere allowed his personal political ambition to undermine the collective interest of the youths in the region.
He said: “We frowned on the lukewarm and nonchalant and divide rule tactics of the NDDC boss and his inability to attract any meaningful and fair development to the youths.
“We wish to remind Mr Ekere, that he has not deemed it fit to rally the NDDC and its board to award surveillance jobs, water hyacinth contracts and other road repair jobs in the region. We also condemn sabotage against the ex-militants”.
Edor said the group was aware that a file containing the names of new NDDC board was being withheld by some presidential aides.
He accused such aides of subverting the progress of the youths in the region and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and ensure constitution of a new board.
“We are urging the President to release enough fund to the new board of the commission to enable the incoming board to carry out their constitutional functions to effectively impact on the youths and the region”, he said.
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