Reverse NDDC nominee list, Pan Yoruba group pleads with Buhari
By Ayo Adelua
President Mohammadu Buhari has been urged to reverse the recent new appointments in the Niger-Delta Development Commission, (NDDC). ONAC urged President Buhari to reverse the list submitted to the National Assembly and appoint a technocrat Yoruba of Ondo State extraction as the next Managing Director of the NDDC. The release was seen by Irohinoodua today.
In a petition sent to the President, the Oodua Nationalist Coalition, (ONAC) said the recent appointments is skewed in favour of the South South at the detriment of Ondo State, which is the 5th oil producing state in the country.
“We condemn in very strong terms the failure of you the President to appoint an indigene of Ondo State as the Managing Director of the NDDC. Mr President sir, instead, you appointed both the Chairman and the Managing Director from Akwa Ibom and Cross River States which remain the stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) which voted and campaigned against your government in the last elections,” ONAC said in the petition signed Dr Ahmed Adeluyi on behalf of 35 Pan Yoruba groups. Some of the groups include the Oodua Liberation Alliance, (OLA), Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC), Yoruba Professional Association, (YOPA), Yoruba Christian-Muslim Youth Association, (YOCMY).
The group said the non appointment of a technocrat from Ondo State to lead the Niger-Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) is unacceptable to the Yoruba people and runs against the spirit of fairplay and justice for the people of Ondo State who is the only oil producing state that has not taken up arms to disrupt oil production in the country.
The Pan Yoruba group said it dispatched the letter of protest to President Mohammadu Buhari to jettison the list before the National Assembly “for equity, fairness and justice.”
“Ondo state produces about 18% of Nigerian oil output. Because of the disruptive activites of the militants, Ondo state which used to be 5th on the production list is now No 4 on the list of the oil producing states.
“Ilaje is the only Local Government that produces oil in Yorubaland apart from the new found oil in Lagos . The best way for Buhari to even the agelong injustice against the Yoruba oil producing communities is to appoint a technocrat of ilaje extraction as the new head of the NDDC.
In the last election, the ilaje local government was the only oil producing community in Nigeria that voted for President Buhari inspite of the feracious attacks waged by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) on Ilaje territories during the last election.
ONAC said “We stood for Buhari and we still stand with him. Of all the appointments made so far, no Ilaje person has been giving any appointment. The Minister of State for Niger-Delta is from Ikale, not Ilaje. This injustice should be corrected before it is too late.”
“We are peace loving. The federal government has been fighting battles with oil pipeline vandals. This does not take place in Ilajeland, but we are being told that it is wrong and fruitless to be peaceful and law abiding”.

cry me a river.