Ijaw Youths to meet over tenure of NDDC interim management

Ijaw youths from the nine states of the Niger Delta have concluded plan to convene an enlarged meeting of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), ethnic nationality bodies and other civil society groups in the region to deliberate on the suspended protest to shut down the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State over the tenure of the interim administrator, Mr Akwa Effiong.

Already, some of the governors and National Assembly members from the region have indicated their readiness to support the meeting and the planned protest to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari appoints a substantive board as provided under the NDDC Act.

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It was gathered that the decision to call for an enlarged meeting of stakeholders and IYC clan heads on the planned protest was based on the way and manner the protest was put on hold in January, 2021 to give room for the promises made by the minister of Niger delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio on a new timeline for the appointment of a substantive board.

A senior member of the Ijaw youths leadership argued that the four months tenure of the sole administrator was abysmal failure.

“It is sad to note that even the NDDC under this sole administrator, Mr Akwa has not done anything significant that will put smiles on the faces of the Niger Delta people despite the huge resources at his disposal,” the source said.