Marginalisation: Ondo indigene should be next NDDC MD, group tells Buhari

Citing marginalisation of its people, a group from the Ondo State Oil Producing Communities has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an indigene from the state as Managing Director of the Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The group which said the area in the state comprises 213 communities, argued that it is their turn to produce the Managing Director of the commission on the basis of justice, equity and fairness.

Its Chairman, Mr Charles Ebimomi noted that the law that  established the commission stipulated that the office should be  rotated among the states that constituted the commission.

Ebimomin, joined by the secretary, Odunsola Omopariola said in spite of their contribution to oil production in Nigeria and the statutory provision as contained in the NDDC Act, the community has been neglected over the years.

He said the community was ranked as the fifth oil producing community and has been deprived of its statutory rights since the inception of the Commission.

While saying the post of MD and Executive Director, began with the states that have the highest production quotas, the duo noted that other four states before Ondo, have each produced the MD and at least one Executive Director of the Commission for a combined number of years.

They maintained that they voted massively for President Buhari in the last elections because the people believed they would get justice that they never got for 16 years in NDDC under the PDP administration.

“The South-South states are ganging up against Ondo State being the only Yoruba state that is producing oil at this time around. If the president looks critically at what is going on in the NDDC now, he would know that the state has been heavily marginalised because of this.

“We appeal to the sense of judgment of Mr. President to allow Ondo State have the position this time around because if other five states cannot get justice under our amiable President Buhari, this will be most unfortunate, indeed.

“The peace in the Niger Delta Region should be sustained by the Federal Government on the basis of justice, equity and fairness in NDDC.

“The agitation for tenure completion should be ignored as it will create more problems because it simply means returning the old board in its entirety” they stressed.