By Lukman Olabiyi
A coalition of Ilaje indigenes has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider it native as next Managing Director (MD) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in order to end marginalization.
Various groups of Ilaje indigenes who formed the coalition at a meeting held in Igbokoda, Ondo State includes; Ilaje Progressive Union (IPU),Ilaje World Congress (IWC) and Ilaje Youth Congress (IYC).
Ondo State is the 5th Oil producing state by virtue of the oil production from Ilaje oil bearing communities.
The NDDC Act was established in the year 2000 and since then, no Ilaje native has occupied the position of MD of the commission, but at the meeting, representatives of the various groups; Chief Eko Isinmi Okolo for IPU, Akingboye Agbohun for IWC and Ayenuro Oluwagbenga for IYC, maintained that the principle of rotation of the MD position of NDDC among the Niger Delta States as contained in the NDDC Act should be followed. Noted that part IV, Section 12(1) of the NDDC Act clearly affirmed it.
The statement issued after the meeting read:”It is worthy to note that the Ilajes are peaceful and hardworking ethnicity and we believe in using dialogue first in our demands. It is our appeal that we should not be denied of the MD position that is the turn of Ondo State to produce which accrued to us from our God given resources . So we call on Mr. President who is a father to us, to see to our outcry and implement the Act in our favour of Ilajes this time for the MD position of NDDC.
“We are very worried that the FG over the years has not been fair to the Ilajes on issues of appointment benefits to the Ilajes because of our peaceful loving despite oil production from our communities that benefits the entire nation.
” Our communities are been eroded by sea incursions due to prolong oil and gas explorations in the offshore and onshore areas of our communities and no decisive steps have been taken by the government to save our communities and timely give what belongs to the Ilaje people in order to rescue us from the deplorable and delapidated situations.
“We are hopeful that President Buhari will not give in to undue illegal pressures but do the right thing as a man who advocates rule of Law since it is the turn of Ilaje to produce the next MD of NDDC” .
