A youth coalition in the South-South has threatened totally shut down operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).The group said in a statement Sunday August 29, 2021 that it would do this by totally blocking the gates of the Commission from morning.
The group, South-South Youth Initiative (SSYI) began protests at the gates on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, but initially did not block the gates in the first two days. This time, however, the group vows to shut down the Commission totally until the FG intervened.
The group has issued a statement Sunday, August 29, 2021, threatening to resume on Monday, August 30, 2021. In a telephone conversation with BusinessDay, their leader, Imeabe Saviour Oscar, said Monday would witness what he called total blocking of the gates. This may mean that workers would not gain any form of access to the 12-floor edifice.
South- South Youths Initiative said it has resolved to sustain their ongoing protest against the NDDC until their demands are met. (We are not asking for much, we are only requesting that the right thing be done in the NDDC.
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“We are not happy that the agency is still being run contrary to the Act establishing it. This has caused a lot of setbacks to the region. An unconstitutional administration can never be right in the sight of the law. That is the reason we have insisted that a substantive board be immediately constituted. This substantive board will benefit the youths of the region, who in the instance, are relegated and abandoned.”
He said the youths would push the protest till President Muhammadu Buhari would hear them out. “We are calling on Buhari, who promised that issues affecting the people of Niger Delta would top his priority, to compel Godswill Akpabio, his Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, to constitute a board for the Commission.”
“We also use this medium to state that in this new week we are going to press to totally shutdown operations at the Commission’s headquarters. We will ever ready to sustain this move until the right thing is done.”
In the chat, Oscar wondered how the interim administrator has continued to work from Abuja, saying this is the new strategy by organizations in the Niger Delta. He said only the heads of the security agencies have made contacts with the protesters so far, saying no word has so far been heard from Minister of Niger Delta Affairs or from the CEO of the NDDC, Effiong Akwa.
The issue of pressing for inauguration of the board has taken the front burner in recent times. Ultimatum to attack oil facilities was recently issued by the Gbaramatu-based ex-militant lords but a trip into the oceanic town for eight hours by the Minister led to a stand down by the ex-fighters who were said to have been tutored on the obstacles.
Akpabio had explained to them and other Niger Elders and chiefs that the FG intends to carry out a clean sweep from the past through findings from the forensic audit which has now been submitted to the Presidency. The presidency, he stated, would not hand over to a board without spelling out how the boards would operate going forward since previous boards had led to abandonment of over 8000 projects and involvement in every kind of project under the sun.
