By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South, Sam Oyadongha, Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugborhi & Chioma Onuegbu

LEADERS and stakeholders of the South-South, yesterday, queried the reason governors, senators and members of the House of Representatives from the zone look the other way while the Presidency continues to enforce an aberration of sole administrator on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. 

They called on the governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to wake up from their lethargy and lead their colleagues in the zone to mobilize National Assembly members from other regions to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari to bring to a halt the anomaly in NDDC in the next one month.

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 National Chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, mouthpiece of leaders and stakeholders of the coastal states of Niger Delta, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien; Chairman, Bayelsa State Traditional Council, HRM Bubaraye Dakolo; and Senator Chris Ekpenyong, underscored the need for governors and NASS members from the zone to champion the demand for inauguration of the substantive board of NDDC.

Former Minister and member, House of Representatives, Chief Nduese Essien, and President, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Fegalo Nsuke, and others, who also spoke to Vanguard, said South-South governors and lawmakers should put their personal ego and interest aside and work tirelessly for the overall good of the region

Govs, NASS members should join forces — HRM Dakolo

HRM Dakolo, who is the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, asserted, “It is incumbent on the Governors of the South- South and citizens from the zone, to speak out and point out the usurpation by the federal executive, particularly the Presidency, the Act of parliament which created the NDDC.

“Interestingly, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was a senator, Governor Douye Diri was a senator, and many of them have had legislative experience.

“They should join forces and call on the President to do what they need by inaugurating a substantive board for the NDDC, made up of credible, competent, and tested people with records of accomplishment of success and good behaviour.”

We need prayers, says Essien, PANDEF chair

Chairman of PANDEF, Senator Essien, who noted that the National Assembly did its part by making the NDDC Act, said: “It is for the Niger Delta people to go to court.

“People can take the matter to the court, any person from the region, but the problem is that you can be in court for so many years.

“In addition, they will now have a reason for not inaugurating the Board because the matter is in court.

“You find Nigeria is becoming a banana republic where people not respect laws and just do what they like, otherwise there is no provision in the NDDC Act for interim administration. Let us just pray that God will intervene.”