By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA- THE National Secretary, Phase Three Amnesty Group of ex-agitators, Comrade Tam Odogwu, yesterday, expressed optimism that appointment of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, board members will go a long way to tackle militancy in the region.

Odogwu who have been concerned with the recent attacks on oil and gas facilities in the region explained that the current agitation in the region by some armed groups was traceable to the handicapped situation the NDDC finds itself.

According to him since the NDDC had no board members and only an acting managing director the commission has not been able to effectively carry out infrastructural and human capacity development projects and programmes in the region for a period of time.

Also in his assertion the resurfacing of militancy in the region was because the youth in the area were engaged by the developmental projects the NDDC was executing, which they were paid salaries and wages for their services.

He said: “It is very important to state here that President Muhammadu Buhari should not further delay in appointing board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, and with Mr. President’s swift move to do so it will go a long way to tackle the present militancy challenge in the region.

“We are stating this because when the NDDC had board members a lot of infrastructural development was going on and most of the youth in the region were seriously engaged in their various communities, and they earned salaries and wages during the period of the projects.

“The NDDC has in its mandate on youth engagement and empowerment programmes and schemes to develop their potentials, particularly in collaboration with the Amnesty Programme.”
According to him the Acting MD of NDDC has limited capacity in terms of projects facilitation and youth engagement programmes, but with the full board appointment for the commission there will be representation that would cut across the Niger Delta region and could also have access to the various youth groups in each state to engage them in productive ventures.

“The NDDC and the Amnesty Programme are the two bodies that have a very wide coverage in terms of engagement, integration, empowerment and development of youths in the Niger Delta region. The effective and efficient operation of these two bodies in the past sustained the peace and will continue to sustain it if properly funded and given the needed support.

“This would also fast development in the region and reduce the menace of hostilities and militancy, especially bombing of oil pipeline, kidnapping & environmental degradation which is affecting the already dwindling Nigeria economy”, he stated.