From: Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
A Pan Niger Delta Youth Leadership Forum (PANDLEAF) has again expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government over its decision on the tenure of the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) insisting that it is the turn of Bayelsa state to have the Managing Director.
PANDLEAF in a statement by Richard Akinaka, Ubokobong Umoh and Success Jack, President, secretary and Publicity Secretary respectively condemned moves by the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government to give legitimacy to the extension of tenure of the current board.
According to the group if the facts as deposed to, by Secretary to Government of Federation(SGF) has any modicum of credibility or truth , then the Managing Director(MD) position should ordinarily, have gone to Bayelsa State for a full four years term.
It noted the fact that the Dan Abia led management had served for two years and another board was required to complete the remaining life of that tenure was not in contention noting however that giving a total fresh four years tenure to the same States, is something totally alien to the NDDC enabling Act itself and a “vehement assault on our collective sensibility”
The statement read in part “We hereby call on the Presidency to rescind this injustice in the interest of peace and stability in our region. And on the alternative, appoint the highest ranking staff of the Commission from Bayelsa State as Managing Director. We hereby want to state categorically that, should the Federal Government not reverse this illegality within a fortnight, then we would stop at nothing to mobilize our people to continuously occupy the streets in protest, until the right thing is done.”