By Emeka Ogenyi
A rights group, under the auspices of Niger Delta Movement for Peace and Justice, NDMPJ, has kicked against moves by some groups in the Niger Delta region to present a fresh list of nominees for the board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
National Coordinator of NDMPJ ,Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem in a statement made available to newsmen yesterday in Uyo, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to go ahead to inaugurate the 15 nominees already confirmed by the Senate in November 2019.
Nkereuwem warned that failure to inaugurate the already confirmed nominees would worsen the controversy trailing the inauguration of the NDDC governing board in the Niger Delta region lately.
He further noted that it was even wrong for another list of nominees to be presented for screening and confirmation when the already confirmed nominees were not dissolved.
His words, “Niger Delta Movement for Peace and Justice aligns itself with the people of the Niger Delta region to call on Mr President to inaugurate the governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) without further delay.
“However it is sad to hear that the Senate is currently contemplating another screening of fresh nominees for the NDDC governing board. It appears that you (the President) have bowed to pressure from some selfish individuals in the Niger Delta to ignore members of the board that have already been constituted, awaiting swearing-in.
“This has never happened in the history of democracy in Nigeria. No President of this country has had his screened and confirmed nominees replaced even before they were sworn in.
“We therefore demand Mr President to demonstrate that he is a true democrat, principled politician and man of proven integrity by going ahead to inaugurate the 15 nominees already screened and confirmed by the Senate in November 2019 for the NDDC governing board”
The National Coordinator of NDMPJ expressed the hope that the Senate would not not fall to the temptation of abusing democratic principles.
