Ndokwa/Oshimili Communities Protest New NDDC Board Appointment

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

The recent Federal Government's appointment of the new board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) ), today, at Asaba recorded a huge minus.

Large number of youths, women and men drawn from communities within Ndokwa and Oshimili Local Government Areas registered their displeasure over the recent appointment.

They took their protest to the state's house of assembly and the government house.

At the state assembly the angry protesters were received by their respective representatives, assured that they understand their grieviances and ready to work round the clock with them at correcting the anomaly.

As contained in an address John Obi, the organising chairman, Ben Elu, Esq and Chuk Ozulu, the protesters rejected in its totality the deliberate marginalization of the entire Delta North Senitorial District in the constitution of the commission's board since 2000.

Part of their address to the state governor, read in part thus; "rather than at least consider we that have never benefited for 19 years, the same Urhobo and Isoko groups that were appointed into the out going board were again rewarded with the Managing Director and Delta State representative positions respectively for an unprecedented two consecutive tenures"

Speaking to our reporter, Chuk Ozulu, pointed out that, among the five oil producing ethnic nationalities in Delta State, it shows that the Urhobos had being appointed five times; the Isokos, Ijaws and Itsekiris had enjoyed appointment at the commission four, four and three times respectively.

He also maintained that the current Deputy Senate President, Minister for State Niger Delta (the only minister from the state, Chairman of the NSITF Board as well as outgoing NDDC Executive Director (Projects), he said are all Urhobos.

The group's leader, John Obi, urged Niger Delta Leaders and Governors to persuade the president to reconsider the list and allow Ndokwa Nation produce the next Managing Director and Delta State representative in the new NDDC board.

Comrade Hero I Hero and Odili Ebere, in their chat with our reporter decried the exclusion of Delta North Senitorial District in the appointment of the commission's board.

They also noted that Ndokwa nation had contributed a lot towards the Indepedent Power Plant (IPP) project of the nation with ten oil companies peacefully operating within their domain but lamented that all that is their lot is no jobs and appointment to their people.

Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon, received the angry protesters at government house today, with the assurance that the state government is ready to work with them on this issue.

He also reminded them that their royal fathers had before now paid advocacy visits to his office and their letters to the state governor had equally being sent to the presidency.

Rt. Hon. Funkekeme Solomon thanked them over the peaceful manner they conducted themselves during the period of the protest.

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