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Ondo Youths Threaten To Go Back To The Creeks Over Buhari’s Failure To Pick NDDC MD From The State

The youths representing Ilaje Advancement Forum, Ilaje Youth Congress and Egbe Omo Ilaje, said Ondo State was being cheated and marginalised in the current federal government.

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Hundreds of aggrieved youths from Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Thursday protested the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an indigene of the state as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission. 

The youths representing Ilaje Advancement Forum, Ilaje Youth Congress and Egbe Omo Ilaje, said Ondo State was being cheated and marginalised in the current federal government.

The protest comes after Buhari sent names of persons to constitute the board of the NDDC from each of the states in the Niger Delta region to the Senate for approval. 

Buhari had picked Pius Odubu from Edo State as Chairman of the commission while Bernard Okumagba from Delta State was selected as MD of NDDC.

Speaking to Sahara Reporters, one of the protest leaders, Ojukotimi Olawale, said the failure of President Buhari to appoint an Ondo indigene as MD of the commission was unacceptable to them.

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He said, “The current government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to marginalise us in Ilaje.

“You will recall that the position of the Managing Director of the NDDC was zoned to Southwest few months ago.

“Ondo State is the only state in the zone producing oil and according to the act which also established the NDDC, it states that anyone that would occupy that post must come from the mandate area. 

“But it was surprising to find out that Buhari had appointed people from Delta and Edo states to head the commission.

“We feel this is marginalisation on the people of Ondo State especially those of us from Ilaje LGA of the state.

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“We can go back to the creeks and begin our militancy and they won't like our actions by the time they see the result of this decision they had taken.”

Others, who spoke to Sahara Reporters during the protest, said that they wanted the position of the MD of NDDC to be ceded back to Ondo State because they deserved it.

According to them, failure to do so would force them back into the creeks where they would sabotage the economy of the country.

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