The Delta State Government yesterday called for the speedy reconstitution of the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to avert the 2016 experience when the resurgence of militancy plunged Nigeria into recession.

The Deputy Governor, Dr. Kingsley Otuaro, while featuring yesterday on ‘The Morning Show,’ a programme on ARISE NEWS Channel, the broadcast arm of THISDAY Newspapers, described the non-constitution of the board as a flagrant abuse of the commission’s Act.

He said the situation was doing more harm than good to the oil-rich region.
He described as untenable, the assurance of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, that the board would be constituted after an ongoing forensic audit.

Otuaro also allayed fears of a political storm in the state over the zoning arrangement for the governorship position, saying the issue would be resolved at the right time.
He said the non-constitution of the board of the NDDC could trigger militancy in the region following the recent ultimatum issued by the Ijaw Youth Council and oil communities’ rights activist, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, known as Tompolo.

He stated that following Tompolo’s ultimatum, Akpabio had engaged in wide consultations in the region.
Otuaro said he was part of the consultative meetings and was also very much aware of the fact that consensus reached in the inner meetings was that the board would be constituted at the close of this month.
He added: “The expectation of all those who are involved in that critical engagement is that the board will be constituted at the close of this month.

“If there is anything to the contrary, Senator Akpabio knows exactly what to do. He has to reach out because any gap in the circumstance will be misconstrued for something else.
“And for us in Delta State Government, we don’t want a repeat of what happened in 2016 that boxed us up into a recessionary period, where there was a resurgence of militancy in the region. And then we observed the breaches of critical oil and gas facilities where the Trans-Forcados 48-inch line was breached and production output was cut.”
He said the position of the state government was in tandem with the position held by critical stakeholders in the region.

He said: “We have a strong opinion that the long delay and the non-constitution or the substantive board of the NDDC is a flagrant abuse of the Act, establishing the NDDC.
“That is the position of the Delta State Government and like you have said, the NDDC cannot be like a sole proprietorship business, because it is not meant to be so.”
He recalled that South-south governors met and in their resolution, they affirmed that the board should be constituted immediately.

The governors, he said, also recommended that financial receipts in favour of the NDDC should be lodged in an escrow account, adding that this was borne out of the fact that the sole proprietorship leadership – the interim leadership of the NDDC is unknown to the NDDC Act.

He stated that the recent visit by Akpabio to the region for consultation had calmed frayed nerves as the government may not have contained the likely unwholesome situation that would have arisen.

“The recent spate of ultimatums given by the Ijaw Youth Council and some other critical stakeholders, including that of Government Ekpemupolo, is also in tandem with the position of the Senator Ifeanyi Okowa-led government and that of the South-south governors and that of PANDEF led by Chief EK Clark,” he said.
He added that the state government was thankful to God that Akpabio, “esteemed and distinguished for his transformation agenda while he was governor Akwa Ibom State had cause to come to the Niger Delta region to consult with the critical stakeholders and I’m thankful to God that he came.”
Otuaro added that if the minister had sat in his office, there would have been some unwholesome scenes in relation to the ultimatum that they had given.
“So I want to say that it is the expectation of the critical stakeholders that the board should be constituted,” he said.

According to him, the position that the board would be constituted when the government is done with the forensic audit, is untenable against the backdrop of the fact that the board can be constituted and the forensic audit can be going on.
On the rising tension over zoning of the governorship position and the recent dissolution of the cabinet by Okowa, the deputy governor said the situation would be resolved at the right time.
He added that he reserved the right to run for the governorship election but was non-committal over whether or not he would run in view of the zoning arrangement in place.

He stated that it was within the powers of his boss to effect a change of cabinet.
“First, it is within the powers of the Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to dissolve his cabinet and reappoint those he feels very strongly that can help us deliver on a stronger Delta Agenda, because that truly is our agenda, one that truly is stronger and more secured Delta State for tomorrow.
“So, that is in the exercise of his power and there’s no problem about that and we are happy with it and I think the people are also happy with it.

“As to the questions you have thrown up with regards to contesting or indicating interest, zoning and all of that, I don’t want to get myself into all of that. I am a Deltan; I am a Nigerian, like any other person. So, we all have the rights to aspire to elective positions. I have the right to aspire within the context of the law. I can aspire. But it is not my place to tell you if I want to,” he said.
According to him, the zoning of the governorship seat to South, North or Central Senatorial Districts, are all politics.
Otuaro stated that the leadership of the state, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will look into what is fair and just for the people of the state.