Comrade Princewill Ebebi
Nigeria at 61: Niger Delta group unhappy with FG, Akpabio over state of NDDC
[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]
Group, the Project Niger Delta has expressed displeasure with the Federal Government and the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio over the delay in inaugurating the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
President of the group, Comrade Princewill Ebebi while speaking to Oracle Today newspaper, Friday, on the occasion of Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary celebration, decried a situation where the board continues to operate with an interim administrator even when such is alien to the laws establishing it.
“Today is Nigeria independence but the good people of the oil rich Niger Delta region are not happy with the way Sen. Godswill Akpabio, the honourable Minister for Niger Delta Affairs who is orchestrating delay of the Inauguration of a substantive NDDC board despite his promise of July ending 2021.
“Since then, collective prosperity and federal government developmental incentives for the region have been managed by one lion family led by Sen. Godswill Akpabio.
“Our resources are being used for personal gains, despite our consistent appeal and peaceful resolution for the Inauguration of the NDDC board, the minister has continued to pay less attention to this very pressing and important need of the region.
While urging the Minister not to take people of the region for granted, Comrade Ebebi called on prominent indigenes and stakeholders from the region to rise up and speak in one voice against the delay.
Mr Effiong Akwa was appointed interim administrator of the board on December 12th, 2020 by President Buhari.
This appointment, the PND believes was through the lobby power of Sen. Akpabio as both the Minister and sole administrator hail from Akwa Ibom State.
