Ijaw youths insist on planned NDDC headquarters shutdown

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Some Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) leaders have said there is no going back on the planned protest and shutdown of the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over the appointment of a sole administrator by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The decision of the youth leaders from the nine states of the Niger Delta is at variance with the directive of IYC National President, Peter Igbifa, who, on behalf of Ijaw youths, suspended the protest and opted for a stakeholders’ meeting. 

The Ijaw youth leaders, represented by Tobin James (Eastern zone chairman), Frank Akiefa (Western zone chairman), Clever Osuma Inodu (Central zone chairman) and Ogomugo Marbo (Abuja chapter chairman), in a joint statement in Yenagoa, said the planned protest and the NDDC headquarters shutdown is an action against President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to set up a board for the commission as provided for in the Act establishing the NDDC board and targeted at under-developing the region.

They advised the public to disregard the statement credited to Igbifa, stressing that the plan to shutdown NDDC headquarters is in top gear by all structures of the IYC

“Igbifa never supported agitations of a substantive board for NDDC and so doesn’t have any right to halt or call for the stoppage of the protest.

“The only reason that will stop the protest is for President Buhari to do the right thing by appointing the substantive board in NDDC that will carry out its functions properly. We are calling on every well-meaning Ijaw youths not to be distracted by the statement of Igbifa which does not reflect the decision of council,” they said in the statement.

Contacted on the development, IYC National Spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe, confirmed the development, insisting that the decision of the Ijaw youths zonal leaders to embark on a protest and shutdown the NDDC headquarters is legitimate and those calling for the cancellation are enemies of the region.

Ebilade reiterated that the protest is borne out of genuine desires of the Ijaw youths to demand a substantive board that will facilitate development in the Niger Delta.

”It is people-driven and oriented protest that cannot be cancelled by anybody who has never been a part of the ongoing protests in the region.

“The protest will go on according to plans as all structures of council have been fully notified and they are all ready and waiting for the signal,” he said.