The management team of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been given a five-day ultimatum to vacate the commission or face severe consequences.

The ultimatum was issued on Thursday by Niger Delta ex-agitators in a statement, stating that the team led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku is occupying their offices illegally, as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had dissolved all parastatals and agencies of the federal government, including the NDDC.

The ex-agitators specifically warned that if the management failed to leave the office, they would occupy the commission and disrupt the activities of the NDDC.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Gen. Daboikiabo Alalibo, the ex-agitators under the aegis of the Coalition of Ex-agitators of Niger Delta (CEND) said it was unimaginable that the team could be operating against the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said: “Our President gave an express order dissolving all parastatals and agencies of the federal government. The NDDC was affected because it wasn’t among those constitutionally exempted by the directive.

“But we understand that some persons close to the President spearheaded the conspiracy that allowed Ogbuku and others to remain as a management team of the NDDC. It is illegal.”

“This is not the era of former President Muhammadu Buhari when presidential directives, which are supposed to be sacrosanct no matter, were treated with kid gloves and flouted with flagrant impunity.

“The order of our president must stand because there is no sacred cow and no preferential treatment. NDDC should not always be a victim of lawlessness, a fate it suffered throughout the administration of Buhari.”

“We don’t want the region to run into another era of crisis, and that is why ex-agitators are asking the federal government to appoint the most senior director to take over the running of the NDDC until another board is constituted.

“We are calling on President Tinubu to take immediate action. We give the Ogbuku-led team five days to vacate the NDDC for peace to be maintained in the region.

“The president should avoid anything that will bring pressure from the Niger Delta, especially now that we are having tension caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy. Everybody is angry now.

“It is unbelievable that Mr President gave an order, and some person close to him failed to heed the order. We cannot afford to see the NDDC being mismanaged again. This was what happened during the leadership of Effiong Akwa.

“He was an interim administrator for nearly one year, and within this period, they were using the place as a cash cow, as mentioned recently by the former Rivers State Governor, Wike.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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