N’Delta Youths To Buhari: It’s Now You’re Getting It Right

                        Edith Chuku

A group under the auspices of 21st Century Youths of the Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (CYNDAC) has asserted that President Muhammadu Buhari was being mis-led by some detractors who took undue advantage of the President’s ill health and his travel abroad to take unhealthy actions against the Niger Delta region.

In a statement signed in Port Harcourt, Rivers state by its leader, General lzon Ebi, the group, However, expressed gladness, noting that some actions of the President towards the Niger Delta in the passed three months were indications that Buhari had realized his mistakes.

“Having ex-rayed the current happenings in the last three months in the Niger Delta, we have come to the conclusion that President Muhammadu Buhari means well for the Niger Delta but was hoodwinked, due to his ill health, by our selfish and animalistic politicians to impose their authority on the Niger Delta people, despite the pathetic and unimaginable situation we find ourselves,” the statement said.

The group called on fellow agitators, youths and activists to support the President to get it right in the affairs of the Niger Delta, noting that no man has the monopoly of knowledge and and that no man was infallible.

The statement further reads: “We have seen, and the truth must be told, that this administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is correcting the mistakes done to the people of the Niger Delta by his administration when he was ill and absent for medical treatment abroad. We commend his administration for justice and vindication of Tompolo.

“Secondly, we commend him for the

forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission and his resolve to see that the forensic audit is concluded despite the antics, blackmail, Cacophony of dissenting voice from the enemies of the Niger Delta to truncate the audit.

“Thirdly, we commend him for appointing Senator Godswill Akpabio as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and also transferring the supervisory role of the NDDC to the Ministry of Niger Delta. We also commend him for allowing the IMC to oversee the forensic audit in the leadership of a seasoned academician in the person of Professor Pondei and a dogged, fearless and outstanding politician in the person of Cairo Ojougboh.

“Fourthly, the autonomy of the judiciary that led to the opposition reclaiming their mandate in Bayelsa State, and most especially Mr President’s resolve to strengthen democracy and our electoral process that was witnessed in the just concluded Edo state election won by the opposition PDP is commendable.

“We also want to commend Mr President for his resolve to see that there is peace in the Niger Delta by jettisoning the report and recommendation of the committee that was saddled with the presidential Amnesty Program for the Niger Delta because without peace there will be no meaningful development.

“We therefore want to recommend that Professor Pondei and Cairo Ojougboh
should be retained in their positions in the substantive board after the forensic audit to enable them consolidate on the progress made as it is a thing of joy to all Niger Deltans that the NDDC is leaving Egypt, the old building which had been a Condit pipe, to Israel, the new headquarters.

“We therefore use this opportunity to advise  President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on those in the National Assembly and outside the National Assembly that are introducing a bill to take over our ancestral waterways and land in the name of water resources bill to jettisoned the idea because it will be resisted by the people of the Niger Delta with the last drop of their blood.

“Instead of the detractors and enemies of his administration to hoodwink him against the Niger Delta people again, he should go a step further to consolidate on his current achievement by implementing the 16-point agreement reached between all agitators, PANDEF and the federal government to prove that he is not an enemy of the Niger Delta but rather he means well for the Niger Delta that lays the golden egg.”