Akwa Ibom community petitions Buhari, alleges marginalisation in NDDC board

By Musa Adamu

Alleged lopsided appointment into the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has continued to generate disaffection, as the people of Eastern Obollo in Akwa Ibom State, in a petition, called on President Mohammadu Buhari to intervene over the matter and address the imbalance in the Board of the commission.
In a statement in Uyo by Ken Ukoima, who is the President of Oru Obollo, he said although Akwa Ibom has had four Executive Directors. (Projects) and six of their sons served as state Representatives on the Board, yet none of them came from Eastern Obollo.
He regretted that Eastern Obollo, the highest oil-producing community in the state, had never served on the board of NDDC in any capacity.
He noted that the neglect and oppression of the Eastern Obolo people is not only in the denial of appointment but also in the allocation of the resources and projects within the state by NDDC and the state government as well.
He regretted that some illustrious sons of the area had been assured of positions in the NDDC only to be denied at the nick of time stressing that Eastern Obolo has been so oppressed and suppressed despite its contributions to the State and the nation.
“I wish to bring to the attention of His Excellency Mr President the arrant and sordid disregard for fairness and equity in the appointment of members onto the Board of NDDC.
“Your Excellency would please recall that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) arose from the ashes of the OMPADEC in 2000. The Act establishing it also provides for the appointment of a Managing Director and two Executive Directors.
“As the largest oil-producing state, Akwa Ibom has served as Chairman, Managing Director, in addition to four executive directors at a different point in time in the Commission. But no indigene of Eastern Obollo has been appointed to serve on the board of the commission.
“The good people of Eastern Obolo shall forever be grateful if your wind of change will blow into Akwa Ibom State and overturn the wicked and obnoxious machinations of the ignoble potentates and give Eastern Obolo the opportunity to serve on the board of the NDDC now as Akwa Ibom still has a chance to produce a director.” The statement reads in part.