‘We paid the supreme price for creation of NDDC – IYC replies Wike

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The leadership of the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide has frowned at the outburst of the Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike over his threat against ethnic groups planning to protest against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over perceived short-comings on the issue of development in the region.

Wike had reportedly threatened to mobilize against any ethnic group that stage protest at the headquarters of the NDDC in Port Harcourt, Rivers State stressing that the NDDC does not belong to any ethnic group but to all the people of the Niger Delta region.

But the IYC in a press statement issued by spokesman, Mr Ebilade Ekerefe stated that though the Ijaw youths agreed completely with Wike that the NDDC belongs to every Niger Deltan, but insist that when some ethnic groups were maintaining table manners in the peak of the agitations, others paid the supreme price in the region before the eventual creation of the Commission by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000.

Ekerefe noted that the fall out of the agitations in the region can still be witnessed through the incessant and targeted military invasions, human rights violations and extra judicial killings against Ijaw communities while other ethnic nationalities are calm.

According to him the right to protest is the constitutional right of all Nigerians including Niger Delta groups and Wike lacks the power to stop any group from protesting at the NDDC headquarters.

” It is even a logical contradiction for Gov. Wike to in one breath assert that NDDC belong to all ethnic groups, and in another breath, threaten to mobilize against anybody who protest at the NDDC Headquarters. Is Governor Wike insinuating that Rivers indigenes especially Ikwerre where the NDDC temporary headquarters has been situated for the past 21 years own NDDC more than others?” he said

Ekerefe while explaining that the IYC is not against any ethnicity from occupying any position in the NDDC board if the act which establishes it is implemented, noted that a continuous none adherence to the NDD Act is inimical to the full operational capacity of the NDDC and should be resisted by every rightful thinking person who means well for the development of the region.

“For clarity, let me reiterate that our position to resume the planned “mother of all protest” at the NDDC headquarters is still on course if a substantive board is not on-stream by April as the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio alluded. We are irrevocably committed to this cause and nobody can stop us from legitimately expressing our grievances when that time comes,” he added.