Ijaw youths plan shut down of NDDC headquarters over appointment of sole administrator

The youths drawn from the western and eastern zones of Ijaw nation under the aegis of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in a prelude to their planned NDDC shutdown joined their counterparts in the central zone (Bayelsa) on Monday and massed at the Mbiama-Yenagoa junction of the East-West road to protest the appointment of a Sole Administration for the commission.

Thousands of travellers and other road users were stranded for hours on the usually busy federal highway which straddle the six states of the Niger Delta during the period of the youths protest.

National Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, Wednesday in Yenagoa warned that the planned showdown at the NDDC headquarters would be the mother of all protests.

According to him, “it is a litmus test compared to the next protest that will be staged at the NDDC headquarters, Port Harcourt by Ijaw youths until president Buhari corrects himself from the error in judgement and appoints a substantive board that will fast track development in the Niger Delta region as enshrined in the NDDC Act.

“The IYC will no longer sleep over matters of fundamental regional interest but will go all out legitimately to push for the right things to be done.”

He thanked the security agencies for the professional conduct in the discharge of their duties which to a large extent contributed to the peaceful demonstration without brigandage at the East West road.

Ekerefe, who particularly commended the leadership of the central, western and eastern zones of the Ijaw nation for joining the national leadership of the IYC in demonstrating courage and capacity during the protest, said “the protest is far from over. We shall occupy NDDC headquarters in few days if the right thing is not done.

“Mr. President should hearken to the demands of stakeholders and governors of the South South by appointing substantive NDDC board and not sole administrator for NDDC.”