NDDC’s Public Discourse and Niger Delta Stakeholders

I wish to begin by asking a simple question, in furtherance to my statement’s title: ‘NDDC’s Public Discourse and Niger Delta Stakeholders,’ who are these stakeholders?

Just like others, I read few days ago with utter disappointment a statement by Senator Godswill Akpabio, with some leaders of the Niger Delta region: wherein the illegality and impunity were applauded, by these stakeholders or leaders as being implicitly described, it was sobering and excruciatingly painful, to say the least.

This action, thus far, made me cynical, but yet very hopeful; because the latter’s experience was an unpleasant surprise: for leaders who fought, and were irrepressibly gallant for establishing the NDDC to have become an instrument in destroying the board by purportedly supporting illegality.
It was a clear disdain of contempt and a demonstration of ignorance.

Those supporting the illegality in the NDDC by the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, priding themselves as stakeholders have taken themselves upon a madcap of excursion and have become elusive to the fact that angriness can lead to a full-blown revolution.

We all saw how the Arab Spring that led to revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain had stakeholders, but when the series of anti-government protests and uprisings for oppressive regimes and a low standard of living began, stakeholders were no where to be found.

With the growing waves of COVID-19, as well as the rebuilding of public trust and confidence from the ENDSARS national protests, a litany of protests will make chaos inevitable and promote instability in the Niger Delta if the underlying issue creating disunity in the NDDC is amicably not resolved.

Many people expended sweat, tears of joy, toil on sleepless nights for the NDDC to be established. People made personal sacrifices that were significant. The NDDC was established not simply as a vehicle for personal ambitions. People fought for the NDDC to be established because they saw it as perhaps the only enduring hope to bring progressive governance to the Niger Delta’s physical and socioeconomic developemnt. Those who now seek to abuse the NDDC, priding themselves as stakeholders by using it as their personal device do the NDDC great harm and even greater harm to the Niger Delta people.

In a specific context, those afflicted by Senator Akpabio’s Sole Administrator do a grave disservice to the Niger Delta and they should by way of posterity retrospect their imprudent views and desist from their despicable actions of impatience, lack of strategic negotiation to logically negotiate for Niger Deltans.

The only stakeholders in the Niger Delta region are the Niger Delta people who are victims of environmental degradation, lack proper medical facilities, untenable infrastructure and adequate education for Niger Deltans to contribute to a digital economy where there will be no roadblock to anyone’s progress unlike those who pride themselves as stakeholders with no touch of what the people want.

The IYC will speak for the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta in general, and this 8th NEC will not support illegality, therefore, any of its member supporting the illegality such as the Sole Administrator of the NDDC, has breached the sacred and fundamental principles binding the IYC’s vision, its oath for office and do not have the moral obligation or decency to speak on behalf of the Ijaw people again.

I want to reiterate once again that any statement issued by the IYC will be a statement to support what the ordinary and most vulnerable Niger Deltans go through on daily basis: issues like the security the East-West road will provide the Niger Delta when completed.

However, the discourse that is known in the front-burner today is how Senator Akpabio is abusing the NDDC.

This is an insult too heavy to swallow for Niger Deltans because Senator Akpabio cannot give a time frame when he intends to put a substantive board for the NDDC.

In this intellectual age of our struggle, the IYC cannot fold its arms and be an accomplice to illegality because the IYC played a pivotal role for the NDDC to be established and it cannot precipitate the NDDC’s destruction.

I once again call on those using one mouth to speak two different things to be consistent in the struggle for the NDDC’s substantive board, the law is clear and the Niger Delta people are in support of the establishment act of the NDDC. Whether it is one day or a month you call it, for a Sole Administrator to be there pending the thorough completion of the forensic audit, we say no.

Niger Deltans are not in support of stakeholders who promote illegality because of petty things.
Instead of stakeholders to work in unison and curb the insecurity challenges in our coastlines; in regards to the current killings and kidnapping of the people of Bonny in Rivers State, you go to the State to support illegality.

SIGNED

Comrade Frank Pukon, Secretary General of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide

January 18, 2021