Niger Delta: Militants threaten FG over alleged NDDC takeover

The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA and coalition of nine militant groups in the Niger Delta, have  threatened to cause collateral damage to oil installations and facilities in the region if the Federal Government takes over the supervision of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC from the Ministry of Niger Delta, MNDA.

In a statement by the leader of the group, Johnmark Ezonbi, otherwise known as General and Obama, on Monday, said that the group will return Nigeria to recession if the Federal government should go ahead with a suspected plan to take away supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from Ministry of Niger Delta, MNDA, to the Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation, OSGF.

The statement reads, “It has come to our notice that there was an ongoing meeting initiated by some power-drunk and self- centered leaders from the region, who have lost control of the affairs of the NDDC. ‘’

‘’We will bring the nation to its knees and return Nigeria to the era of another recession if the Secretary to Federal Government and the so-called selfish self- centered, greedy power- drunken politicians refuse to stop their evil arrangement” they warned.

According to the militants, ‘’the Federal government is collaborating with some top officials in the Presidency to transfer the supervision of the NDDC to the OSGF all in a bid to divert the fund for their personal gains towards 2023.” “We sternly warn those behind this evil plot to retrace their steps or live to regret their actions as they will not be spared in the onslaught christened ‘Final Battle to Rescue NDDC from the Hawks, Blood for Oil’,”  the militants said.

The group affirmed that RNDA and its affiliates, which have been supportive of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying, “Any attempt to remove the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from the supervision of Niger Delta Ministry to OSGF will be met with stiff resistance by the RNDA, not minding the negative impact our action will have in the economy of the country.”

Ezonbi lamented that ‘’it is painful that after sacrificing our lives in support of President Muhammadu Buhari- led APC federal government and entered into ceasefire agreement for peace to reign in the region, the only thing to pay back the people of the Niger Delta is to strangulate development.”

However, the group thanked President  Buhari for appointing former Governor of Akwa Ibom State,  Godswill Akpabio and Chief Festus Keyamo, SAN, as Minister of the Niger Delta and Minister of State for Niger Delta.