Youth leaders from the Niger Delta region have urged President Muhamadu Buhari not to yield to the temptation of constituting the NDDC Board now.
In an address read on behalf of Youth Groups in the Niger Delta by the President, Coalition of Progressive Niger Delta Youths (CPNDY), Mr Chukwuma Nwabueze, at a meeting in Owerri,on Tuesday, the youth leaders cautioned that there was great danger in constituting the NDDC Board.
‘’Our attitude to the call for the constituting of the board for the Niger Delta Development Commission in 2021 is one of extreme caution”, they said.
The youth leaders also spoke on the 3 per cent contribution of oil companies from their annual budgets to NDDC, the huge debt owed the commission by International Oil Companies, IOCs, operating in the region, Akpabio’s doggedness and sincerity and the financial resources to meet NDDC recurrent and capital expenditure.
They praised Senator Godswill Akpabio for properly and efficiently managing the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
They applauded Senator him for conceiving and implementing projects in line with well-defined vision and strategies.
‘’The evidence so far is that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio. is well-informed of what is expected of him and he is rising to the occasion admirably’’
‘’Senator Godswill Akpabio is offering permanent solutions to the Niger Delta problems. He is giving succour to the afflicted, building bridges of friendship across the region and giving the people a sense of belonging’’.
‘’Godswill Akpabio’s strategy of development is aimed at breaking the ground for a dynamic growth of the Niger Delta’’
The youths emphasised proper coordination, distribution pattern of projects across the nine states of the region and completion of some abandoned projects.
They also highlighted the on-going East West Road project, the 1050 bed hostel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, human capital development, skills acquisition centres in all the 9 states of the Niger Delta and the 132kv substation in Ondo state, which will supply power to about 5 local governments.
