…warn of development setbacks and peace risks
The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT), the apex sociopolitical organization of the Itsekiri nation, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to scrap the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), but to allow it to function independently alongside the proposed South-South Development Commission.
In a letter addressed to the President, the group expressed concerns over alleged moves by certain interests to replace the NDDC with the new regional body.
Signed by ILOT Chairman Chief Edward Ekpoko and Secretary Sir A.S. Mene, the appeal underscores growing concerns among Niger Delta stakeholders over the future of the interventionist agency and its vital role in the region’s stability and progress.
The leaders argued that the NDDC, established specifically to address the environmental and socio-economic challenges of the oil-producing states, plays a critical role that a general regional commission cannot fully assume.
“The NDDC was established with a clear mandate to facilitate infrastructural and socio-economic development in the Niger Delta. While it has faced challenges over the years, its existence remains crucial to addressing the environmental, economic, and social issues peculiar to the region”, the letter stated.
ILOT emphasized that unlike other regional development commissions, the NDDC receives funding not only from the federal government, but also from international oil companies (IOCs), making it uniquely positioned to tackle the specific issues of oil-producing communities.
“The South-South Development Commission, like other regional commissions, is a welcome development, but it cannot undertake the role of the NDDC, which was purposefully designed as an interventionist agency,” the group argued.
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The leaders warned that dissolving the NDDC could disrupt ongoing projects, create administrative bottlenecks, and hinder, rather than accelerate development in the region.
Such a move, they cautioned, could destabilize the fragile peace in the Niger Delta, a region that remains critical to Nigeria’s economic backbone.
“We trust that your administration, known for its commitment to increased oil and gas production, fairness, and national development, will carefully consider this appeal and take steps to strengthen the NDDC rather than dissolve it,” the letter concluded.
In their appeal, the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought urged President Tinubu to carefully consider the long-term implications of scrapping the NDDC and to instead take steps to strengthen the commission.
“We trust that your administration, known for its commitment to increased oil and gas production, fairness, and national development, will carefully consider this appeal and take steps to strengthen the NDDC rather than dissolve it,” the letter concluded.