By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
Groups under the auspices of Ijaw Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Nigeria, Bayelsa and Delta States Chapters have asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently inaugurate the long awaited Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to forestall crisis in the oil and gas sector.
The appeal was contained in a statement jointly signed and issued by the Chairmen of the chapters, Jonah Engineyouwei and Friday Ugedikumo .
The chairmen said the appeal was needful at this point, in order to avoid further threats to the NDDC and the Niger Delta Region, the economic base of the country.
The statement stated that, all the executives and members of the Ijaw oil and gas producing communities of Nigeria want the President to inaugurate the already screened and confirmed NDDC Board members led by Bernard Okumagba.
”We know Bernard Okumagba as a very knowledgeable and experienced
man. He has the requisite capacity, ability and competence to lead the Commission. This is because he hails from oil producing Udu and Warri South Local Government Areas which host several oil fields and facilities”.
“We strongly believes that the Buhari’s administration will do the needful by appointing competent members to enable communities enjoy the dividends of development”, the statement emphasized.
