Youth Leaders in Rivers State have passed a vote of no confidence on their NDDC representative, Chief Tony Okocha, while expressing their disappointment and warned of possible escalation of the situation in the region.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that rising from an emergency meeting convened by concerned Youth Leaders from Rivers State, a resolution was reached expressing profound disappointment and dissatisfaction over the deliberate delay in the disbursement of the 2023 Christmas and end-of-year packages by Chief Tony Okocha, the Rivers State NDDC Representative.
Amidst reports that other states within the Niger Delta region have promptly disbursed these benefits to applicants and stakeholders since 23rd December, 2023, the delay in Rivers State has spurred discontentment among the Youth leaders. Consequently, they have passed a vote of no confidence on Chief Tony Okocha for what they perceived as a deliberate withholding of the said funds.
During the emergency meeting, it was resolved that a formal petition would be urgently sent to the security agencies in the state to intervene and arrest the situation before it escalates into a complete breakdown of law and order. The Youth Leaders stressed the urgency of addressing this matter to prevent potential unrest within the communities in the State.
Furthermore, the Youth groups cautioned Chief Tony Okocha, highlighting the distinction between NDDC funds and political funds. They emphasized the critical nature of these disbursements to the welfare of the people and warned against further delays, which could lead to societal discord.
Adding his voice to the call for urgent intervention, the National President of the Southern Youth Foundation of Nigeria, Comrade Emeni Ibe, urged the Commissioner of Police to urgently address the situation and ensure swift action to resolve the delay in disbursement.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that this development has raised concerns among stakeholders and citizens in Rivers State, as they await a response from the appropriate authorities to mitigate the tensions arising from the delayed disbursement of the 2023 Christmas and end-of-year packages.
SYF’s Comrade Emeni Ibe and Comrade Amb Eze O. Eze, President General of Rivers State Youth Movement stated that further updates on this developing situation will be conveyed to the public while urging the youths to remain calm as they await urgent response from security agencies and appropriate authorities.