A prominent youth leader in the Niger Delta, Osaanya B. Osaanya, has expressed concerns that the ongoing protest orchestrated by some individuals against the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has the potential of derailing the development plans of the commission for the region.

Osaanya, who expressed the concerns in a statement, urged those engaging in ethno-political sentiments by prompting a core Ijaw agenda to sheathe their swords and embrace peace for the Ogbuku-led management of NDDC to effectively implement its core mandate of holistic development of the region.

Warned against crisis should the perpetrators continue in their sponsored blackmail, the ex-militant leader pointed out that promoters of the core Ijaw agenda, especially in Bayelsa State, are not happy that Ogbuku was named by President Bola Tinubu to manage the NDDC.

He added that the anger of such enemies of Bayelsa and the Niger Delta stemmed from the fact that Ogbuku is passionately delivering on President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda beyond expectations.

He said: “Sponsors of the blackmail against Ogbuku are wondering why an individual from former President Goodluck Jonathan’s local government area would be given such a juicy appointment ahead of others from core Ijaw councils.