The 21st century youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to without further delay inaugurate a substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The group in a statement yesterday by its leader, Izon Ebi, while thanking the president for instituting a holistic probe and audit of the NDDC which unraveled mind-boggling atrocities committed by politicians, said the delay in the inauguration of the new board is giving a fertile ground for ineptitude, subterfuge and corruption that will erode the gains of the forensic audit report submitted to the president by the auditors.

According to them, the new appointees screened and confirmed by the Senate are seasoned technocrats and people with proven track records who can raise the bar in the management of the interventionist agency.

The group said,

The 21st century youths of Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience and other genuine Agitators and civil society are of the opinion that the delay in the inauguration of the new board that was appointed by Mr. President, screened and confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic will jeopardise the gains and report of the just submitted report of the forensic audit of the commission.

The screened and confirmed board with zero baggage will be able to implement the recommendations of the auditors with optimum commitment.

As Agitators that are at the forefront in agitating for the betterment of the region, we advise Mr. President as a matter of urgency inaugurate the already screened and confirmed board of the NDDC.

We implore Mr. President to take a critical look at the situation and learn from the imbroglio of the Maritime University that nearly plugged the region into fresh crisis because of selfish disposition of some stakeholders in the region.

Capacity should not be sacrificed at the altar of political expediency again in the NDDC. The region citizens have suffered enough in the hands of the political borough pits who are never satisfied.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.