NDDC: Urhobo Youths Barricade East-West Road Over Sole Administrator

PEREZ BRISIBE

Hundreds of youths from Urhobo ethnic nationality, Wednesday barricaded the East-West Road in protest of the appointment of Mr. Effiong Okon Akwa as sole administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The youths drawn from all the Urhobo kingdoms in Delta Central, also issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to inaugurate the board of the Commission else they will cripple all forms of commercial and vehicular activities on not just the East/West Road, but the National Assembly and nation’s seat of power.

President of the Urhobo Youth Leaders Council, UYLC, Comrade Lucky Emonefe, who led the protest, said they will be visiting the offices and homes of Urhobo political leaders, who they said are in the habit of trading the birthright of Urhobos for their selfish interest.

The protest, which was held at the Agbarho axis of the East/West Road in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State, had the protesters bearing placards with inscriptions such as “Akpabio should stop deceiving Mr. President,” and “We are in support of the forensic audit but we need a substantive board”.

Passengers travelling through the road where stranded for the two hours the protest lasted as they were forced to alight from their vehicles to trek long distance owing to the long stretch of gridlock as a results of the protest.

Addressing newsman at the scene of the protest, Comrade Emonefe said: “We are saying enough of the politics been played with the NDDC and that Mr. President should do the right thing by putting in place a substantive board to fast track development of the Niger Delta region”.

“Today’s protest is a warning protest as we will be coming out in 21 days to embark on a bigger protest that will shutdown the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt and other agencies related to the NDDC to press home our demands.

“Urhobo is the major supporting ethnic nationality of President Buhari and his administration in the region and we welcome and support the forensic audit of the NDDC but we equally want the right things to be done in the commission.”

It will be recalled that the UYLC had also dragged the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief Godswill Akpabio, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the NDDC Sole Administrator, Mr. Akwa to Court, demanding the sack of the Mr. Akwa whose appointment they described as illegal, null and void.