Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A coalition of Niger Delta ex-militant leaders have commended President Muhammadu Buhari over his refusal to be swayed by the campaign of calumny and blackmail against members of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The ex-militant leaders said they are in support of the President’s decision to extend the tenure of the Interim Management Committee of the Commission.
The group drawn from nine states of the region under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative (LPCDI) and led by the President, Pastor Clifford Wilson popularly known as Pastor Reuben in a statement stated that the people of the Niger Delta region are happy by the decision to extend the tenure of the IMC led by the acting managing director, Professor Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei.
LPCDI called on Pondei to maintain his good name that he has earned over time and ensured development gets to the riverine communities which are desperately desirous of developmental growth.
On the repeated sponsored attacks against political office holders from the region, the LPCDI warned those involved in the recent allege blackmail and wicked campaign against political office holders from the region to desist from such acts.
The statement read in part” We are happy with manner in which Professor Pondei and his team are managing and running the intervention body and want pass a vote of confidence on the team because we have not seen any impropriate action carry out since they assumed office rather they are doing everything possible within limited resources to provide succour to our people
The people must learn eschew bitterness and accommodate one another without throwing spanners in their works. We, as Niger Delta people, must learn to always support our own. No one is hundred per cent perfect but we shouldn’t drag them into opprobrium always particularly on the media mostly burn out of selfishness.”