Niger Delta Frontiers for Change (NDFFC), a social-political group in the Niger Delta region has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate a substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to avert crisis in the volatile region.
The convener of NDFFC, Mr Okwa Onisowurum Jonathan, explained that the delay in the inauguration of the NDDC board is brewing a crisis in the region.
He said President Buhari should endeavour to inaugurate the board once he returns from the Intra- African Trade Fair holding in South Africa, to restore the confidence of the people of the Niger Delta in the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government.
He expressed regret that Akpabio has treated the Ijaw people and the people of Niger Delta with disdain through the confusion and the aberration of a sole administrator he foisted on the NDDC.
Jonahan while noting that Akpabio’s action is a minus for the administration of President Buhari which is being regarded As anti- Ijaw and Niger Delta people in the region, he expressed regret that since his appointment as Minister of Niger Delta, Akpabio has gambled with the destinies of the suffering and neglected people of the region subjecting them to more suffering.
He stated that the Niger Delta region is a tinderbox and President’ Buhari urgent action is needed to avert a crisis that may engulf the region through the anti- Niger Delta posture of Akpabio
Jonathan declared that the Ijaw people and the people of the Niger Delta region no longer have confidence in Akpabio and urged the President to find a suitable replacement that would be able to manage the affairs of the Ministry of the Niger Delta better.
The statement read in part: “We are calling on President Buhari to constitute and inaugurate the board of the NDDC immediately upon return from South- Africa. We also call on him to look into numerous calls by well meaning people of the Niger Delta region that are demanding for the sack of the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio for portraying the administration of President Buhar in bad light as anti- Niger Delta. His handling of the affairs of the Ministry of Niger Delta has been painfully unsatisfactory. Worse still, his fixation to create confusion at the NDDC has spelt doom for the interventionist agency. As a group, we hereby pass a vote of no confidence on Senator Godswill Akpabio because under his watch as minister of Niger Delta Affairs, the Niger Delta region has seen nothing reasonable from the federal government.
