Niger Delta stakeholders warn against appointment of another sole administrator

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

President Muhammadu Buhari has been admonished to be wary of moves by some of his “selfish” appointees to foist another sole administrator on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

Stakeholders under the auspices of the Niger Delta Movement for Development (NDMD) who had an emergency meeting in Oporoza, Delta State, said it had observed a plot to make the NDDC an appendage of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs with full powers to dictate the direction of the commission.

     Speakers at the NDMD attended by youth leaders and elders from the region, vowed to resist another sole administrator for NDDC. The group in a statement by Ogbakiri Yanga, insisted that the current management of NDDC under Dr. Efiong Akwa should be the last interim administrator for the commission.

He said any other change in the management of the NDDC should be the appointment of a board as directed by the Act establishing the commission.

    Yanga asked some selfish persons benefitting from the status quo at the Presidency and the ministry to jettison the sinister plot to appoint the most senior NDDC director as the next sole administrator.

       “This is utter wickedness. We want to believe that some selfish individuals are bent in totally damaging the image of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Niger Delta. Already, the image of Buhari has been dragged in the mud because of the way some of these individuals have handled the affairs of the NDDC.  People are quiet because they believe that the next change of leadership will be the announcement of a board. Dont taste the wrath of a lion by touching its tail. Any attempt to appoint another interim administrator will be likened to waking up a sleeping dog. We can assure you that we will revolt and this time it will be total.”

    While further lamenting the deployment of sole administration for NDDC management, Yanga called on Buhari to quickly constitute the board. He also observed the moves to deplete the powers of NDDC and make it subservient to the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs describing it as totally unacceptable.