IYC Calls On Buhari To Appoint A Young Man As NDDC Boss

Ahead of the May 29, 2019 inauguration of President Buhari for a second term in office, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has called on President Buhari to appoint a relatively young person as the next substantive Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The President of IYC, Eric Omare made the call while meeting with some community youth leaders in Edo and Delta States in Warri, Delta State at the weekend.

According to Omare, it was the struggles of the youths of the Niger Delta region that gave birth to the establishment of interventionist agencies in the Niger Delta region such as the NDDC, Presidential Amnesty Programme and the Niger Delta Ministry.

However, over the years apart from a few cases, the Presidency has always appointed old people who are not in touch with the youths and realities of the Niger Delta region into these offices and thereby depriving the region of the needed understanding and zeal to drive the required developments of the region.

Mr. Omare further stated that the few occasions where relatively young people have headed the NDDC and Presidential Amnesty programme recorded the best performance in the history of these organizations because of the understanding of these young men about the affairs of the region and the energy to carry out the enormous responsibilities of these offices.

The IYC strongly believe that the youths of the Niger Delta region who over the years have been at the forefront of the struggle for the development of the Niger Delta region are in a better position to lead the process of bringing development to the region through their leadership of intervention agencies such as the NDDC.

Omare also lamented the inability of the NDDC to complete the Odo to Ofunama road in Edo State and the failure to commence work on the Omadino-Okerenkoko- Escravos road in Delta State despite repeated promises to do so.

“These two projects have the capacity to open up the riverine areas in Delta and Edo States to accelerated and rapid development”, he said.

The IYC leader also stated that with a young person with access to the youths of the region as Managing Director of the NDDC, these key developmental projects would be given the required attention and there are a lot of such young people with the requisite qualifications and experience in service delivery; hence President Buhari should search for a competent and reliable youth and, appoint as the next substantive Managing Director of the NDDC, the statement added.