From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A group, Niger Delta Rescue Movement (NDRM) has warned against attempts to circumvent the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in constituting the substantive board of the interventionist agency.
There have been clamours in recent times for President Muhammadu Buhari to do away with the illegal contraption called Interim Administrator and constitute the board in the interest of the people of the Niger Delta region.
NDRM, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Okwa Onisowurum Jonathan and made available in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State reiterated that the All Progressive Congress (APC) would lose the South-South states if the NDDC board is not constituted before the campaign kicks off on September 28.
Jonathan warned that breaching the Act establishing the Commission by not picking the Managing Director of the Commission from Bayelsa would spell doom for APC.
He insisted that following the NDDC Act, Edo and Ondo States are not qualified to produce the Managing Director but Bayelsa. Jonathan traced the history of the commission, noting that the position of Managing Director is reserved for major oil producing states with Rivers and Akwa- Ibom producing twice.
“Edo and Ondo are not qualified to produce MD. And even if they are included, the sequence had to be followed. After Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa follows. So take note, Bayelsa has only produced Timi Alaibe as Managing Director, while other major oil producing states have had two or three MDs, with a substantive board,” he said.
According to him, the lack of a substantive board is a major setback for the President Buhari administration in the Niger Delta region and inaugurating the board would boost the chances of the party in the 2023 elections.
“In view of the fact that the NDDC Act 2000 did not provide for any acting appointment, I pray that Mr President should with all sense of urgency constitute the needed substantive new board and inaugurate it so as to bring to bear the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta without further delay,” he said.
