… Says Protest Maybe Hijacked

The Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) Worldwide, a socio-cultural organisation and the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationality Youth Leaders Forum (NDENYLF) have called on those protesting the alleged marginalisation of Delta State in Niger Development Commission (NDDC), to sheath their swords.

Recall that the Coalition of Niger Delta Civil Society Network had earlier this week written to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding the appointment of a Delta State indigene as the Managing Director of NDDC following the expiration of the tenure of Dr Samuel Ugbuku. They also accused the management of corruption and mismanagement, threatening to protest if their demands were met.

This was as the group called on youths and other interest groups in the region to shun violence and embrace dialogue, lest their protests be hijacked by enemies of development who were out to unleash mayhem on a region already battered by insecurity and environmental degradation

However, the NDYC has vowed to counter the protests as it insists the allegations of mismanagement in the NDDC as well as insinuations that the NDDC Act was breached in the appointment of the NDDC Board were false.

Addressing newsmen on Thursday after engaging a crowd of protesters in Abuja, the National Coordinator of NDYC
Worldwide, Engr Jator Abido urged all aggrieved persons to support the Samuel Ubuku-led NDDC management for the good of the region.

He said: “What we have witnessed here is needless and there’s no need to protest and or to disturb the peace of the FCT simply because we want a change in leadership or we are dissatisfied with a leader. So far the current management of NDDC has performed credibly well and we must put sentiments and support them.

“Mr. President is an attentive leader who listens to his people. It is therefore misleading to insinuate that Mr. President breached the NDDC Act in appointing the current Board of NDDC. Those propagating such falsehood are only interested in enriching themselves at the expense of the masses in the region.

“It is imperative to note that supporting the current management of NDDC is supporting Mr President and his Renewed Hope Agenda. We all know that Mr President wants the Best for the Niger Delta region and could not have gone against the law or remain silent if there was mismanagement of our collective resources by a few.

“We are grateful to the Securities for their intervention. The escalation between the Coalition of Niger Delta Civil Society Network and the NDYC Worldwide was uncalled for but we remain steadfast in our support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Dr Samuel Ugbuku and Chiedu Evie-led NDDC. We do not have any personal interests except to ensure sustainable development of our region.”