The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has hailed the positive steps taking so far by President Bola Tinubu’s adminitration.
The group however asked the president to do more to ease the harsh economic burdens on ordinary citizens of the country.
This was contained in a communique issued at the end of an extraordinary meeting of the group on Wednesday.
The meeting according to the communique was signed Chief Edwin Clark,
National Leader and Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien,
National Chairman.
While also noting the appointment of sons and daughters of the Niger Delta region, the group however said they are still under represented in the appointments made so far.
They therefore urged the president to do the needful to.reverse the trend.
The communique reads in part: “The meeting restates its faith in a stable, united, and peaceful Nigeria, situated on the fundamental principles of equity, fairness, and justice; through a holistic Restructuring of the country;
“Acknowledges some of the positive steps that have been taken by the Tinubu administration, but insists that a lot more needs to be done, urgently, to ease the harsh economic burdens on ordinary citizens of the country.”
It also noted “the appointment of some sons and daughters of the Niger Delta to statutory positions by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu;
“However, decries the fact that the Niger Delta region remains largely under-represented in the appointments made so far, and calls on Mr. President to reverse the trend.”
The group in the communique also “Expresses satisfaction with the recent appointment of a new Board and Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC by President Tinubu administration.
“Urges the new Board and Management of the NDDC to adopt comprehensive approaches in their management of these agencies, for better performance, and to fast-track the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta Region.”
Other resolution reached include: “Salutes the efforts of the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, General Barry Ndiomu (rtd) in stabilising of the Niger Delta region;
“Further condemns the continued gross “annexation” of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd, where all top strategic management positions are occupied by persons from the north, while Niger Delta indigenes are marginalized and circumscribed to peripheral standings, in both the management and operations of the industry;
” Cites the recent humongous Pipeline Maintenance Contracts awarded by NNPC Ltd., to the exclusion of qualified firms from the Niger Delta as a typical example.
“Calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to guarantee the appointment of someone from any of the six South-South States as the next Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd; that anything short of that would be a great disservice to the Niger Delta people;
” Once more calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to revisit the 2014 National Conference Report, which provides a good working document for a new Nigeria, founded on equity, justice and fair play.”
