From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Niger Delta youths have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to  sack Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani.

The youths, in a statement by Niger Delta Youth Governance Monitoring Group (NDYGMG), condemned Usani and his ministry’s shoddy preparations and poor outing at the just-concluded National Council on Niger Delta held in Akure Ondo.

NDYGMG Director of Press Affairs, Emmanuel Justin, in the statement, condemned the disharmony between Usani and stakeholders in the Niger Delta, which, they alleged resulted in poor attendance at the meeting.

They noted that it was regrettable that the ministry opposed participation of youth leaders who were invited to participate in the meeting. 

According to the group, youths who formed the majority in the Niger Delta, were deliberately excludedfrom the meeting.

They also noted that the council’s inability to form the requisite quorum, to enable it formulate policy direction to drive the ministry was a clear display of incompetence and hence rendered the exercise a nullity and illegal.

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The group further took a swipe at Usani over his suggestion that the Niger Delta Masterplan, developed by technocrats, at great cost and commitment over the years, has been jettisoned.

They called on president Buhari to shop for a more competent Niger Delta native, who would pilot the affairs of the ministry.  

“No other minister from the region, National Assembly member, representative of international oil company, or governors from the region were present at the Akure council meeting.

“This was a far cry from the inaugural edition which held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, in 2013 and which had all relevant stakeholders in attendance.

“NDYGMG therefore calls on president Buhari to rejig his Niger Delta toolbox if the Federal Government is desirous of developing the region,” they added.