Kehinde Fajobi
Business activities in Ughelli, Delta State, came to a standstill on Wednesday, February 12, as members of the Niger Delta People’s Assembly (NDPA) blocked the East-West Road in protest against what they called the systematic exclusion of Delta in the appointment of the Niger Delta Development Commission’s Managing Director.
The protesters demanded President Bola Tinubu’s immediate intervention, insisting that Delta State, as a major oil producer, deserves the position.
NDPA Coordinator Charles Ejor decried the state’s exclusion despite its contributions to the country’s economy.
“Please be informed, Your Excellency, that Delta State, a major oil-producing state in Nigeria, is a major stakeholder in Nigeria’s oil sector, contributing to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product and addressing Nigeria’s energy needs,” he stated.
Citing Section 12, Subsection 1(d) of the NDDC Act, Ejor argued that the law mandates the Managing Director’s position to rotate among oil-producing states based on production levels.
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“Therefore, with the expiration of the tenure of the current Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, who hails from Bayelsa State, it is expedient to appoint a Delta State indigene to the office of the Managing Director of NDDC, considering the contributions Delta State has made so far to national growth and development,” he said.
“In the spirit of equity and fair play and the Renewed Hope Agenda of your administration, we humbly pray Your Excellency to use your good offices to wade into this matter and reverse the systemic marginalisation Delta State has painfully endured,” he added.
Another protester, Samuel Obada, condemned what he called an unfair pattern of appointments, urging Tinubu to correct the imbalance by ensuring a Delta indigene becomes the next NDDC Managing Director.