The Isoko Change Advocates (ICA) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for listening to the voice of the good people of Niger Delta who called for the withdrawal of the screened and confirmed list of the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which was marred with irregularity and flagrant disregard to the Act setting up the NDDC. ICA said no better decision would have been taken by President Buhari regarding NDDC and the development of Niger Delta.
While congratulating the three man Interim Management Committee of NDDC in a statement made available to reporters by its spokesman, Comr. Ernest Obi, ICA also said that the forensic audit is the best thing that will happen to Niger Delta in recent times as it will put contractors on red alert and also ensure subsequent boards of the Commission will pursue the objectives of NDDC and bring the much needed development to the oil producing States. ICA also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the Act setting up the NDDC is strictly followed when reconstituting its Board to avoid raging controversy and violence in the Niger Delta region.
The statement reads, "the news from the presidency regarding the re-composition of the NDDC Board is most cheering. As critical stakeholders in Niger Delta, we want to commend Mr. President and assure him that the entire Niger Delta people are glad over his decisive position on NDDC. This shows that President Muhammadu Buhari is a listening President, who can be relied on by all Nigerians.
"Isoko Change Advocates are certain that in the event of re-composing the Board of NDDC after the completion of the forensic audit, Mr. President will diligently follow the Act that established the Commission and appoint both the Chairman and Managing Director of the Commission from Delta State. This is the right thing to do, so Mr. President must shun desperate politicians and power mongers who want to destroy his hard earned reputation by misleading him to do the wrong thing.
"Most importantly to us, we believe that because Mr. President listens to the voice of the people and very determined to do the right thing, he will be nominating an incorruptible and qualified person from Isoko in Delta State to be appointed as either the Chairman or the Managing Director of NDDC when the time is ripe for re-composing the Board. This is paramount because the Isoko nation has faced unimaginable marginalization in appointment into the NDDC Board in Delta State and indeed other federal government agencies, which has greatly affected project distribution in the area.
"While all our ethnic neighbours in Delta State have produced Managing and Executive Directors of the NDDC since inception, the Isoko ethnic group that produces the largest onshore crude oil through OML 26, 30, 60 and 61 and host Agip, NNPC, SPDC, Heritage Oil and Gas as well as First Hydrocarbon, has never produced any management position in NDDC. This is an aberration and we see it as a deliberate attempt to provoke the peace loving Isoko people to anger so we can be given a bad image. Mr. President needs to correct this unwarranted and provocative marginalization of Isoko in Delta State.
"Conclusively, ICA wishes to congratulate His Excellency, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs for the confidence repose on him by Mr. President to supervise the affairs of NDDC. We believe in his ideology of development and ability, which is visible to all in Akwa-Ibom State. We know that under his watch NDDC will be a truly interventionist agency in Niger Delta. May we also congratulate the three man Interim Management Committee, especially Dr. Cairo Ojougboh. We know that they will do a great job in NDDC while the forensic audit last".
For more Click Here
0 Comments