By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Central Zone has called on the federal government and the national assembly to increase the budgetary allocation to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to enable the commission to carry out its ever increasing mandate in the region.

Chairman of IYC Central Zone, Perekosifa Iniefe, stated this yesterday when he led other exco members of the zone and other IYC stakeholders including the Deputy Speaker of the 6th Mobile Parliament, Collins Opako, to visit some of the completed and ongoing projects in the zone embarked upon by the Samuel Ogbuku led NDDC board.

Some of the projects visited include, Internally Displaced Peoples , IDP camp, roads, class room blocks, ICT Centres , NYSC Corp members lodges, all in Bayelsa State.

Expressing satisfaction with the performance of the Ogbuku led NDDC, the IYC Zonal chairman pointed out that this is the first time in history that all the Niger Delta communities are feeling the impact of the Commission, noting that no community in the region has been left behind while incidences of abandoned projects is now things of the past.

Ineife said: “I can categorically say with facts judging by our assessment of the projects being carried out in our zone today that the current leadership of the NDDC led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku has done tremendously well.

“Previously we have had so much of abandoned NDDC projects, but what we can see in all the various ongoing projects embarked upon by this current NDDC board is that the narrative is changing..We can say that Ogbuku knows and understand the vision and mandate of the NDDC and he is running with it speedily.

“Our position is that while he is doing this, he should also do more. We understand the challenges of involved in the board. From our tour we can see that all the interior communities in the Niger Delta region are feeling the impact of the present NDDC board which is first of its kind.

“We want to assure him that the IYC is in support and in solidarity with him. and we commend President Tinubu for appointing a man who understands the challenges of the people and is delivering in its mandate.

“However, we are appealing to the federal government and the national assembly to continue to support the NDDC by increasing the budgetary allocation of the Commission to enable its meet the ever increasing developmental challenges of the nine states of the board.

“We want to urge the Bayelsa State government to partner with the NDDC to ensure development across boards and also call on other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta to support the current board to deliver on the mandate of the NDDC rather antagonizing its developmental efforts.”

A National Youth Service Corp, NYSC, member serving in Agbura Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Miss Marvelous Ifunaya, expressed appreciation to the NDDC for providing a conducive and befitting accomodation for corp members serving in the community to enable them carry out their primary assignment seemlessles and urged other government agencies to emulate the NDDC.