NDDC appointment: Edo/Delta group make case for Itsekiri

By Solomon Ebipade, Warri

A Coalition of Edo/Delta indigenes under the auspices of Concerned Nigerians for Good Governance, CNGG, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider the financial contribution of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality to the revenue base of the nation through their oil and gas resources and appoint one of their own as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Addressing newsmen in Warri yesterday the CNGG, said since the inception of the Commission, no Itsekiri person has been appointed to that position in spite of being the second largest oil and gas producing ethnic nationality in Nigeria, saying that by the Act establishing the Commission, it is now the turn for Delta state to produce the next Managing Director and even the Chairman.

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Chairman of the CNGG, Nosakhare Omorodion and Secretary, Omabegho Mathew said “now that it has come to the turn of Delta to produce the managing director and chairman, it is only fair and just for the sake of equity and the rule of law on production quantum that the Itsekiri be accorded the position for the first time to give them a sense of belonging. We have eminently qualified persons for either of the positions who are industry players with the requisite qualifications, expertise and experience to lead the Commission to greater heights”.

In particular, the CNGG appealed to President Buhari to also consider the contribution of the Itsekiri nation to his 2019 second term electoral victory as their territory produced the highest votes for the APC in Delta state, saying this NDDC appointment should be used to compensate them in the face of hostilities from the PDP government in appointments so far made in Delta state.

The Concerned Edo/Delta group therefore restated their loyalty, support and steadfastness to the Buhari administration, stating that they have confidence that the economy of the area and indeed the Niger Delta region would be boosted with the appointment of an Itsekiri person to the position of the Managing Director of the NDDC in accordance with the provisions of the law.