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Akwa Ibom youths seek FG’s appointment of NDDC MD from state

By Inemesit Akpan-Nsoh
07 July 2016   |   6:13 am
Youth groups in Akwa Ibom state, under the aegis of Federated Akwa Ibom Youths Association [FAYA], has asked President Mohammadu Buhari, to ignore calls by quaters seeking continued stay in office...
Ibim Semenitari

Ibim Semenitari

Youth groups in Akwa Ibom state, under the aegis of Federated Akwa Ibom Youths Association [FAYA], has asked President Mohammadu Buhari, to ignore calls by quaters seeking continued stay in office of the acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim Semenitari.

In a statement signed by the chairman of the group, Comrade Obisung Ulo-Obisung, and made available to The Guardian in Uyo, he opined that, should Mr. President accepts such calls, it would amount to double standard as his ministers during the South-South Town Hall Meeting held in Uyo, promised Akwa Ibom people that somebody would be appointed to complete the slot of the state.

He recalled that, chiefs and elders of the state, at the last South-South Town Hall meeting held in Uyo, reiterated the plea and the
demand of the people that an indigene of the state be appointed as the substantive MD of the commission, wondering why the Presidency must always wait for youth restiveness before listening to their demands.

Therefore, they urged Mr. President to ignore such ill-advised calls and do the needful by appointing any competent indigene of the state from the oil producing communities as the substantive Managing Director of the Commission. It would be recalled that, based of the Act establishing the NNDC, the position of Managing director has to rotate around the states making the Niger Delta Region, based on this, Mr. Dan Abia was appointed into the position by the immediate past administration, however Mr. Abia was relief of this position by the incumbent government and Mrs. Semenitari was appointed in December 2015 as the Acting Managing Director of the commission; and has already done six months in acting capacity.

According to the Chairman of the youth groups Obisung Ulo-Obisung, who was reacting to a publication in one of the national dailies, “It is
the height of greed, betrayal and covetousness for anybody or group of persons in a sister Niger Delta state to attempt to usurp the position
of the Akwa Ibom state, even when it is legally clear to the whole world that it is the turn of the state to produce the next NDDC managing director.

“Those calling on President Buhari to jettison the rotation policy in the leadership of NDDC within the period the state are yet to complete
its tenure amounts to affront and the provocation of the peace loving people of Akwa Ibom state, such groups of persons or individuals are ignorant of the zoning formula of the commission.

“Those who crafted the NDDC Act were very clear on the clause of rotating the position of the Managing Director of the commission amongst the states”, he said.He promised that the youths of the state would always maintain the peace and remain law abiding, as they believe in his drive towards
making the country corruption free, thereby bestowing to generations yet unborn a Nigeria where justice, equity and fairness prevails.
On the insinuations that it is only the present Acting MD that has the optimal potential to turn around the fortune of commission, Ulo-

Obisung said, “It is wrong for anybody to arrogate the monopoly of managerial prowess to a particular individual, as Akwa Ibom state has more capable technocrats and experts who can do better if given such opportunity.”

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