A militant group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, has threatened to blow up oil installations in the region if the supervision of the Niger Delta Devel
A militant group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, has threatened to blow up oil installations in the region if the supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC is taken away from the Niger Delta Ministry. The group warned that any attempt by the Federal Government to change the status-quo, will be met with stiff resistance regardless of the negative impact on the economy of the country.
Signed by ‘General Commanding Officer’, Johnmark Ezon-Ebi, the statement said that RNDA will not watch while other regions control activities of the NDDC. It read, “Let it be put on record that if the NDDC is removed from the supervision of the Niger Delta Ministry to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, we will carry out collateral damage on all available oil installations and facilities across the length and breadth of the Niger Delta region.
“We have warned and there will be no going back as enough is enough with playing politics and power tussle with the development of the region. If this callous, inhuman, devilish and heartless arrangement is not put to an end, the RNDA should not be held responsible for anything that happens.”
Recall that last week, the Niger Delta governors rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s nominees into the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. The governors expressed concerns over the way and manner the appointments were made, saying it does not reflect effecting governance mechanism.
Similarly, the Niger Delta Entrepreneurs Forum, NDEF, equally faulted the dissolution of the Prof. Nelson Brambaifa-led board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. The forum, in a statement by its Coordinator, Kester Okele and Secretary Ebipade Timi, said the development was not in tandem with the NDDC Act. Timi explained that Section 4 of the Act was clear on the rotation of the chairmanship position in alphabetical order.
“How come Edo is being gifted the chairmanship of the board after Cross River State took the last shot?’’ they asked.
The stakeholders queried Part IV, Section 12 (1), which states: “There shall be a managing director and two executive directors who shall be indigenes of oil producing areas, starting with the member-states of the commission with the highest production quantum of oil, and shall rotate among member states in order of production.”
They wondered why a state, such as Rivers, which is among the first three top oil producers hosting two refineries, and refines the highest amount of crude, was left out in the management committee of NDDC. Timi explained that Section 4 of the Act was clear on the rotation of the chairmanship position in alphabetical order.
“How come Edo is being gifted the chairmanship of the board after Cross River State took the last shot?’’ they asked.
