By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—No fewer than  98 youths of Niger Delta region have threatened to drag the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Dr. Stephen Oru, to court over alleged failure by the ministry to provide empowerment packages for them after being trained in Israel about 11 months ago.

The youths are beneficiaries of the advance Agricultural Training, under the Niger Delta ISAC Israeli Trained Agricultural Group of Nigeria, NDITAGON, a training programme organised by the ministry for non-militant youths drawn from the nine states that make up the region.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, in Abuja, the President of NDITAGON, Azuibike Emmanuel, expressed disappointment over the ill-treatment they were subjected to by officials of the ministry, especially, the minister himself, who they accused of reneging on the empowerment agreement.

Emmanuel, said: “We have made several efforts since our return to the country and we had resolved that if the authorities fail to address this issue within the next seven days, we will be left with no option than to seek redress in the law court.”