Delta North Rejects NDDC Appointment, Says FG Causing Acrimony
The people of Ndokwa and Oshimili extractions in Delta state have faulted the position of president Muhammadu Buhari administration over placements in the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The Delta north indigenes accused Buhari of deliberate marginalization since 2000 when the Board was constituted.
In a petition to the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA), Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori, after a protest Tuesday to the Assembly Complex and Government House respectively, dated 1st September 2019, signed by John Obi, the Organizing Chairman and Ben Elu, Esq, Organizing Secretary, said the people have been treated like serfs that hew wood and draw water without any form of benefits.
They regretted that rather than the FG to consider Delta north that have never benefited for 19 years, the Urhobos and Isokos of Delta Central and South were reconsidered to their detriment.
They asserted that the Urhobos have had the position of the Managing Director for three times, Executive Director (project) and Commissioner/State representative one each.
Arguing further, they claimed that the Isokos had also taken their turn of Commissioner/State Reps for four times while Ijaw had also taken Ag. Managing Director, Execitive Director (Finance and Administration and Commissioner/State Reps one each.
According to them, the Itsekiris have also had the Executive Director (Finance and Administration), Executive Director (project) and Commissioner/State Reps one each.
They lamented that Delta north has never tasted of the 'national cake' as it concerns NDDC appointment, calling Buhari to reverse the new appointment with immediate effect as it is unacceptable.
"The current Deputy Senate president, minister of state for Niger Delta; who is the only minister from the state, chairman NSITF Board and the outgoing NDDC executive director project are all Urhobos.
"To ensure the plot to take everything to Urhoboland succeeds, the proponents had to sacrifice the Board chairman due to Delta state to Edo state whose tenure comes only after Delta state. It was this conspiracy and betrayal that made it possible to continue to have everything belonging to everybody", the Petitioners alleged.
The protesters with various placards read thus: "our economic value is enough to be considered", "Ndokwa nation demands NDDC MD now", "Ndokwa women demands equity and fair play", Ndokwa no roads, jobs, amnesty, NDDC. Why? Ndokwa has contributed IPP, 10 Oil companies among others.
They accused the federal government of pitching the otherwise peaceful neighbors against each other, stressing "this mode of appointment that make us mere colony to others is unsustainable and unacceptable".
They said Delta north had since 1967 producing oil and gas which sustains the nation, "of recent, oil and gas producing in Ndokwa has so ramped up that we not only have 10 oil producing area, we now have 480 MW IPP supplying electricity to 14 states and Abuja now being expanded to double capacity.
"We also have the largest LPG plant and new refinery been installed in Kwale, arising from our harbouring largest gas reserve in sub-sahara West Africa, calling on the Niger Delta governor's to prevail on the president.