A Niger Delta Advocacy group known as Young Professionals for Peace, Transparency and Development (YPPTD) has commended the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari ordering the resignation of his appointees seeking elective positions to resign.
The group particularly hailed and rejoiced the resignation of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio over their presidential ambition.
It, however, urged President Buhari to immediately set up a substantive board for the smooth running of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The Director-general of the YPPTD, Chief Selekumo Ndiaye, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, urged Mr President to use Akpabio’s exit,which they described as a breath of fresh air, to establish the substantive board.
They added that the inauguration of the board will ease the frosty relationship between the people of the Niger Delta region and his administration.
According to him, “We commend President Muhammadu Buhari for feeling the pulse of the people and asking those distracting the administration with their presidential ambition to resign.
“The people of the Niger Delta region however see Sen. Akpabio resignation as breath of fresh air and a new chapter to straighten the frosty relationship between the Niger Delta people and his administration.
“The years of deceit and unfulfilled promises under the Sen. Akpabio’s ministerial leadership of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has created enmity between the people and the Buhari administration.
“It was under Akapbio that the NDDC became a comic relief for the national Assembly and the nation.
“It was under Akpabio that the ordered and welcomed Forensic audit was done without result. It was under same Akpabio that the anti-corruption effort of the Buhari administration became a nullity. Rather, report of under table corruption emerges daily and now confirmed by his declaration to contest for Presidency.”
The group pointed out that aside from the fact that the Interim administrator of NDDC, Effiong is toothless and without proper legal backing to settle issue of backlog of debts and activities of the commission, “the setting up of a substantial board for the commission will be a welcome development that will reposition the trust of the region in the APC led Federal Government.”
