Emmanuel Udom accuses Niger Delta governors of inaction on region’s plight

• Buhari nominates Imo, Ondo, Abia NDDC board members

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Emmanuel Udom has accused his counterparts in the Niger Delta of silence on the exploitation and marginalisation of the region.He stated this while addressing the general assembly of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in Uyo, yesterday.

He commended PANDEF for acting as the voice of the region, adding that governors in the region were not showing enough commitment towards the Niger Delta struggles.“I expect all the governors in the Niger Delta to do more than they are doing today. We need to speak with one voice. We need to rise and say ‘This is how it hurts us.’ I expect that governors should be in the forefront of this struggle.

“I personally take it as a duty to see what we can do for the region. Recently I approached the World Bank to request that they establish a mega project that would service the entire region, but they asked us to come as a group, even if it is one rail project,” he said.

In a related development, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday forwarded to the Senate, the names of three new nominees as board members of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

They are to replace the rejected nominees from Imo, Ondo and Abia states. The nominees are Lucky Omirisan representing Ondo, Chuka Amawawa from Imo and Nwogu N. Nwogu, Abia State.

It would be recalled that the Senate in October 2016 rejected three nominees out of the 19 members of the NDDC board sent to it by the President.Meanwhile, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere has called for more partnership between stakeholders and the commission to address poverty and other development challenges facing the region.

Ekere said this at a consultative forum with the theme “Stakeholders as a focal point to achieving peace and sustainable economic development in the Niger Delta region” in Benin City, Edo State, yesterday.

Ekere said there was need for collective efforts for sustainable poverty reduction, employment generation and wealth creation in the area.Represented by the Commissioner representing Edo State on NDDC board, Saturday Uwuilekhue, the managing director said the management had joined efforts being made by the Federal Government to bring peace back to the region, adding that the agency would prioritise the execution of projects in communities due to the current economic recession.