By Ben Ogbemudia
Benin Youths Assembly, BYA, the umbrella body of various Benin Youths Organizations in Edo state has advised the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to as a matter of importance ensure that the already constituted board with Dr. Pius Odubu as Chairman and Chief Bernard Okumagba as Managing Director which was screened and confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is the board to that will be inaugurated come June.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its expanded emergency meeting and made available to ThisNigeria in Abuja, signed by Marxist Kola Edokpayi, Chairman and Barr. Felix Osemwengie Isere, Secretary-General said, anything short of this will be viewed as injustice and an attempt to undermine Benin’s and a deliberate test of the will of the people and it will be vehemently resisted.

They said the stakeholders meeting with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, and the end of June deadline to inaugurate a substantive board for NDDC was apt and timely.

According to them; Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio for initiating the meeting with stakeholders from the region where they were given the opportunity to express themselves.

“Our position is that the Hon. Minister must, as a matter of importance, ensure that the already constituted board with Dr. Pius Odubu as Chairman and Chief Bernard Okumagba as Managing Director, screened and confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is the board to be inaugurated.

“This is primarily premised on the fact that since the establishment of the NDDC, no person, man or woman, from Benin ethnic nationality has been appointed Chairman in spite of our peaceful and co-operative disposition and our high contribution to Oil and Gas production in Nigeria.

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“The appointment of a Benin man from Orhionmwon Local Government Area (the LGA with the highest Gas production in Nigeria) as Chairman of the Commission was well celebrated by our people who, hitherto, have been marginalized and unfairly relegated in the administration of NDDC. Hence our Royal Father, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II personally sent a letter of appreciation to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari.

They noted that Benin’s with great men, women, and vibrant youths who have been peaceful understanding, and cooperative with the Federal Government and Oil producing companies in our area at this material time deserve nothing less than the chairmanship position of the commission stressing that anything short of this will be viewed as injustice and an attempt to undermine Benin’s and a deliberate test of the will of our people, which will be vehemently resisted.

“Dr. Pius Odubu, a two-time member of the Federal House of Representative, two time Deputy Governor of Edo State and the Director of Logistics, Buhari/Osinbajo Presidential Campaign 2019, as Chairman with Mr. Bernard Okumagba, an accomplished banker and an astute technocrat with an outstanding record of service as Managing Director is a well thought out process and it represents a new hope for the Niger Delta Region.

“No attempt should be made to tinker or alter the board as already constituted, screened, and confirmed. The only thing left in the process of having a substantive board for the NDDC is the formal inauguration of the confirmed board. To do otherwise will not only lead to unnecessary delay and conflict of interest, it will create serious legal abnormalities.

“We have the capacity to shut down Nigeria’s economy, but we have always chosen to be peaceful, hoping that this will not be taken for weakness. Our position is that the Dr. Pius Odubu and Chief Okumagba led board already screened and confirmed by the Senate be inaugurated on or before June 30, 2021. We also thank Chief Tompolo it added.