Militants Threaten Fresh Hostility Over NDDC Board, Give 5-day Ultimatum

By Peters Monday, Abuja

Pandemonium in Niger Delta as angry ex-agitators have issued President Bola Ahmed Tinubu five days ultimatum to vacate Dr Samuel Ogbuku-led management team of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to avoid fresh hostilities in the region.

The protesting ex-warlords had threatened to shut down the commission with maximum force if Ogbuku and his team failed to leave office after the expiration of the ultimatum.

The Coalition of Ex-agitators of Niger Delta (CEND) reiterated that Ogbuku and his team continued occupation of NDDC was unconditional.

The group, in a statement issued by its Chairman, Gen. Daboikiabo Alalibo posited it was unimaginable that the team could be operating despite the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dissolving all governmental Parastatals and Agencies.

The statement reads, “Our President (Bola Tinubu) 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.

“After studying the scenario and investigating the development, it was a misnomer and unconstitutional to allow part of a dissolved board to remain in office.

“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.”

The ex-fighters added that the Ogbuku team should immediately hand over the running of the Commission to the most senior director in NDDC adding that the current status was sabotaging the interests of all stakeholders and member states.

“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. We are saying that after five days if the needful is not done we are going to shut down the NDDC and barricade it. It is going to be pressure for pressure and we will hold the government responsible for whatever happens,” the group maintained.