Ethnic violence imminent as NDDC sole administrator appointment polarises youth bodies across Niger Delta

The poor handling of issues surrounding the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has brought so much disunity among youths of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This was the conclusion of Efemena Kelly Umukoro, president of the youth wing of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU).

Umukoro, in a terse statement to Emerald News, said: “If the federal government fails to look critically at the issues raised by concerned national and ethnic youth leaders in the region, the outcome might snowball into ethnic violence in the volatile oil rich region in no distant time.”

The UPU Youthwing president worldwide which is the apex body of all Urhobo youths worldwide has appealed to the federal government to listen to the cry of people in the region and do the needful.

The president who spoke to journalists in Abuja pointed out that the Niger Delta region has been neglected by the federal government for so long saying such action was not good for the region.

He said: “Few days ago the President of Oron Youth Movement, Mr. Victor Mkpofor,  threatened other youth leaders of the region stating that nobody has the monopoly of violence that any more protests they shall stage a counter violent protest.

 “In my response to him (via Nation Newspaper), I made him to understand that despite his kinsman Mr. Effiong Okon, is the sole adminstrator he should look beyond the bar and consider the development of the region. The major problem bedeviling our region is greed, ethnicity and nepotism.

“I further appealed to other ethnic youth leaders (IYC, AYF , INYC and EYC) to forgive him for his childish threat to us, stating that next time he tries talking like a child we shall react swiftly.

“The  forensic audit  and sole administrator in the NDDC  are aimed at depriving the region from the necessary developmental projects that the NDDC ought to have implemented  in the region.

“This is an indirect pattern of shortchanging us and making us to continue to fight ourselves over nothing while time keeps flying. The political class of the Niger Delta region are the worst. They keep using our money to cause further disunity by sponsoring some enemies of progress to oppose the larger house who wants the good of the region by saying NO TO SOLE ADMINISTRATOR .

“I’m beginning to wonder how they could sell their conscience for money. All of a  suddenly because of NDDC, many emergency organisations have been founded, all insuing threats just to be recognised by same people they call thieves.

“If Mr. President means well for the Niger Delta region, he should, as a matter of urgency, create a substantive board whose members would be selected from all the states that make up the region. By so doing there would be justice and fairness and peace in the region.

“Ijaw youth leaders council had the effrontery to say they support the sole adminiEthnic strator in NDDC when a blind man knows that a sole dministrator would breed more corruption and embezzlement of our funds. This is indeed laughable!”