Ndyc Advise Niger Delta Stakeholders To Meet With Buhari Not To Betray The People.

A non-governmental organization, the Niger Delta Youth Coalition, NDYC has advice the traditional rulers and chairmen of Local Government Areas in the Niger Delta to be focused and not to betray the people of the area as they meet with President Muhammadu Buhari aimed at bringing to a halt hostilities by militant groups in the region which has resulted to destruction oil pipelines and other facilities.

National Coordinator of the NDYC, Prince Emmanuel Ogba who gave the advice in Port Harcourt during a chat with media men, said this has become necessary in view of the tension and high expectations of the people, coupled with the dwindling economic situation in the country.

Prince Ogba noted that it will dangerous for Nigeria as a country to see itself divided and thrown into comatose because of lack of justice and true love amongst the peoples of the country as it is widely believed that the people of the Niger Delta from whose communities oil has been produced for about 60 years with which about 90% of the nation's economy is powered.

He also advised President Buhari to be sincere hearted and optimistic by using this opportunity of meeting with stakeholders of the Niger Delta to spin a surprise by approving 33.3% derivation for oil producing communities of the Niger Delta considering the fact that late President Yar'Adua implemented a 10% derivation for development of oil producing areas while former President Obasanjo increased the derivation to 13%.

The NDYC boss expressed concern over the poor budgetary provisions for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC which was allotted the paltry sum of N44, 050 billion naira instead of the more than 200 billion naira requested by the commission and the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, NNDA, which got the sum of only 1,261.7 billion naira in this years' (2016) budget approved by the national assembly and accented to by the president.

Prince Ogba opined that with this dovetailing imbalance in the budget compared to allocation to other ministries and parastatal such as a ministry of transport which got more than 100 billion naira as well as the biodegration suffered by the people of the Niger Delta over the years, it is time for the federal government to look for a soft landing in seeking a lasting solution to the hostilities in the region ravaging the economy of the entire nation.

"The fact that our traditional rulers and Local Government Chairmen who are representing the people of the Niger Delta in the parley with President Buhari for peace in the region without direct representation of the several militant groups holding the economy of the nation to hostage with the destruction of the oil facilities, makes it necessary for the Buhari led administration to apply wisdom in the handling of the current situation instead of warnings and threats to redeploy soldiers in the north-east to quash the activities of the militant agitators in the Niger Delta", the NDYC boss stated.

Prince Ogba has advised the various militant groups such as Niger Delta Avengers, Asawana Deadly Force, Niger Delta Vision, Egbesu Boys, Red Scorpions, Egbesu Water Lions, Isoko Liberation Movement, Kakarakokoro amongst others to sheath their swords for now pending the outcome of the expected meeting between President Buhari and the Niger Delta stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the NDYC has assured the federal government and the people of Nigeria that depending on the outcome of the proposed meeting of the people of the Niger Delta at the instance and invitation of the president, it would reach out to the various militant organizations in the area for a lasting peace.

Signed
Prince Emmanuel Ogba
National Coordinator