Lorine Emenike
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has issued a one-month ultimatum to President Mohammadu Buhari to constitute and inaugurate a substantive Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
IYC President Peter Ebifa, who stated this after stakeholders and the National expanded executive council meeting in Port Harcourt, said the group might be forced to disrupt social, economic activities in the region if the president fails to meet the deadline.
He said the disruption of activities may include interference with the exploration of oil and gas and shutting down movement of both land and waterways after the expiration of the ultimatum, which began on Sunday, 25th April 2021.
“We have been able to discuss the issue of NDDC for which council has resolved that we are giving the Federal government, Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammadu Buhari, a one-month ultimatum to close out on the board inauguration for the NDDC. We consider the NDDC every critical agency for us in this region. For his cause, we want to make it clear that between now and one month, if the board is not brought in, we may not be able to guarantee the safety of oil operations in the region.”
“Council will not just promise but a promise to be fulfilled with action to shut down the entire region if M r President fails to deliver on or before one month from today. This message must be taken very seriously.”
The IYC president said the use of interim administrator to run the affairs of the NDDC is depriving the region of equal representation, which undermines even development.
“When they constitute this board to bring representatives from different states, that’s one and upon that, these people who Mount the board will do justice to the development of these various states even in addition to the states they don’t represent.”
“Even the forensic audit we talk about, the one of NDDC is turning out to be bigger than that of NNPC, so the board on its own has a lot to do with the youths. Over time, when this board was functioning, the youths of the region have survived no matter how little from the different capacity program. But when you run this administration that is not known to us, unknown to the laws, NDDC is an act of the law, and the law provides for it to have a board. If there is a board today, different states as is represented, these people will be answerable to the region.”
