A group, Ijaw Youth Council in the Northern region and Federal Capital Territory said it will barricade the entrance of the Federal Secretariat Complex on Wednesday until the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is inaugurated.
This is contained in a communique issued by the Leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) after an emergency stakeholders meeting and signed by Secretary of IYC Abuja, Comr. Churchill O. Amiekumo.
It urged the Federal Government to act swiftly on the issue.
The communique said the meeting was attended by critical stakeholders including the Niger Delta Ex-Agitators Forum, led by HRH Dr Selky Kile Torughedi (Young Shall Grow), represented by his Secretary Emomotimi Zepribo Pius (Esq).
According to the communique, the stakeholders meeting was conveyed by the Leadership of IYC in order to address what they described as prolonged “Non-Constitution of the NDDC Board” by the Honorable Minister, Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The communique said, ” NDDC is now 22 years since the establishment of the commission from year 2000 to 2022 without having proper Infrastructural developmental to show for the resources being accrued to the Commission.
“This negative report ignites His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, in January 2019, to order for a forensic audit into the operations of NDDC from 2001 to 2019. As a council, we all supported the Forensic audit ordered by Mr. President and we all waited to see the good outcome of the forensic audit to ascertain those who were behind the under development of the Niger Delta region.”
The stakeholders urged the Minister to inform Nigerians and most importantly Niger Deltans whom he represent and to expose those indicted in the forensic audit report.
“The Minister should tell us Which State and Local Government they are from.The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should make the report public for onward persecution. The NDDC Board should be inaugurated within a short possible time.
“We demand for the comprehensive list of the Training and Empowerment delegates carried out by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs from 2015 to 2022, to ascertain the identity of the people selected for the said training. We ask to know the beneficiaries’ states, Local government Areas and Communities in the Niger Delta States.”
