Youths give Akpabio, Fed Govt 14 days to inaugurate NDDC board

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt 

Niger Delta youths have again issued an ultimatum of 14 days to the Federal Government and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to inaugurate the substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The youth, under the auspices of Southsouth Youths Initiative (SSI), said they would launch a civil action tagged: “Operation no mercy for the wicked”, to shut down the headquarters of the NDDC and call for the sacking of Akpabio.

The youth in a letter they addressed to Akpabio, condemned the delay in the completion of the ongoing forensic audit of NDDC, raising suspicion that the exercise could be compromised.

The letter was signed by the National President, SSI, Saviour Oscar; National President,  Organisation of Niger Delta Pioneer Youths (ONDPY), Saro-Neebari  Legborsi; Leader, Niger Delta Youth Assembly (NDYA), Dume Benedict; National President, Network for Patriotic Niger Deltans (NPND), Anthony Tabu, among others.

The youth said: “We call on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, to  immediately make efforts to constitute a substantive board for the Niger Delta  Development Commission, NDDC, within the next 14 days.

“If at the expiration of this 14 days, the commission did not get a substantive board, the youth of the region  under the umbrella of South South Youths Initiative, our affiliate bodies and other  well-meaning youths of the region will shut down the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt.

“This shutdown already tagged, ‘Operation No Mercy For the Wicked’, will last until our demand is met. The Federal Government is becoming a wicked institution. We will ensure that all activities at the commission are put on hold.

“As a follow up, this protest will initiate another round of protest for the sacking of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.

“We are urging the minister to immediately commence the move of matching his words with action. We are holding the minister by his promise that there will be a legal board of the commission by the end of June.

“It beats our imagination that Sen. Akpabio, who claims to be true son of the region, will still be  the one behind the underdevelopment of Niger Delta.”

Lamenting the delay in the conclusion of the forensic audit, the youth said: “The delays in carrying out both urgent task for the people of Niger Delta is at the moment being adjudged to be a tactics to compromise the whole process.

“If actually the forensic audit is a process of  giving justice to the depraved Niger Delta, why the unnecessary delays?

“The body language of delay in the forensic audit will only mean that there is a serious  attempt and moves to compromise the entire process and we as vibrant youths of the Niger Delta region, who are committed to good governance and development of the region, are saying no to this.”