A group, Edo Restoration Movement, on Friday issued a 72 hours ultimatum to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to resign over what it tagged exclusion of Edo State from the NDDC Board.

In a protest to the Benin city office of the NDDC, members of the group brandished various placards with inscriptions such as : “IMC is illegal in NDDC Act”, “We are giving Akpabio 72 hours to resign”, “Let Akpabio hands off the management of NDDC”, “NDDC stop marginalizing Edo State”, “Constitute NDDC Board now” among others.

Addressing journalists in Benin City, ,Secretary General of Edo Restoration Movement, Comrade Ben Bowei, said the youths were there to take over the NDDC office in Benin City because of marginalisation of Edo State by NDDC.

He said the marginalisation must stop, emphasising that the interim NDDC Board should be dissolved and a legally constituted board to take over the management of the commission.

“We are here to take over the NDDC office,because Edo State has been marginalized by NDDC and this must not be allowed to continue. We are here to put a stop to this injustice,. We are part of the Niger Delta. Edo State is the 5th oil producing state and the 3rd largest producer of gas in Nigeria.

“What about the board? Till now, Edo State has not produced the Chairman nor Managing Director of the board. Edo should be considered for the position of the MD of the board. Recently, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs went round the Niger Delta, but he did not come to Edo State. We are giving Godswill Akpabio 72 hours to visit Edo and talk to us or resign ,if he fails to resign we will shut the East- West Road,” he said. (The Guardian)

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