Less than one week after urging the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to advise President Buhari to inaugurate the NDDC Board to avoid fresh crisis in the region, The 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC) on Thursday, November 25, 2021, restated its demand but now directly addressing President Buhari to swear in the substantive board of NDDC so that all the nine constituent states in the region will be duly represented.
The Coordinator of the group, Izon Ebi, in a statement also urged the Federal Government to publish the report of the forensic audit into the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Ebi said, “The 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC) are miffed by the macabre dance steps of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio for “giving audience to youth groups who are paid to pass fake vote-of-confidence on his administration of the NDDC without doing the needful of swearing in the substantive board for the commission.”
According to the group, “it smacks of utter insensitivity to bring dubious youth groups to pass a vote of confidence on the office of the Minister. It’s appalling and insulting to the sensitivity of Niger Deltans to see this dubious parade now and then.”
Izon Ebi stated that “The 21st-Century Youths of the Niger Delta is using this medium to urge the Federal Government to swear in the substantive board of the commission so that all the nine constituent states in the region will be duly represented. The charade of courtesy calls on the Minister for endorsement is out of tune with the masses in the region who are living in abject poverty.”
Recall that 21st Century Youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC) had also on November 17, 2021, called on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to do the needful by advising President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately inaugurate the substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).
The group, in the statement issued by its Coordinator, Izon Ebi, said the region will blame President Buhari for “plunging the Niger Delta region into fresh crisis and grounding the economy of the nation if he fails to inaugurate the NDDC board.” It further said that Niger Deltans have lost confidence in the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio.
The statement read in part: “The Minister is being seen as a confusionist that can trade his people and the peace of the Niger Delta region for his political aspirations and selfish disposition and gains. The 21st CYNDAC condemns in strong terms the antics of the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio because his body language and actions are no longer Honourable as a result of his selfishness, inconsistencies and falsehood that clearly portray him as a confusionist.”
Izon Ebi further contended that “Akpabio is running the NDDC as his private owned company. Niger Deltans are awakened with bogus allegations of bribery and payments of frivolous water-desilting jobs that are not done anywhere in the region.”
The group had also noted with dismay that “as it stands, the North East Development Commission (NEDC) is making progress without any significant contribution to the nation’s GDP but the Niger Delta region that pays the supreme sacrifice of contributing eighty percent to the nation’s GDP is being used for political brinkmanship and showmanship to the detriment of the pathetic plight of the Niger Delta region and its people.”
