Managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, has declared that the current management of the commission is not playing politics with the development of the Niger Delta region.
This is as he declared the region as the most peaceful zone in the country, due to the efforts of youth leaders to maintain peace in their various communities.
Ogbuku spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital at a roundtable with opinion leaders and youth leaders from across the entire Niger Delta region.
The NDDC boss lauded President Bola Tinubu for his love for the people of the region, which translated in the emergence of a Niger Deltan, Senator Godswill Akpabio as President of the Senate as well as the appointment of another Niger Deltan, Chief Nyesom Wike, as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said, “Before now, when people hear that Niger Delta youths are gathering, there would be fears that violence will break out. But, today, nothing like that happens again because our youths have been transformed.
“The transformation has also manifested in the environment. Because today, I tell people that Niger Delta is the most peaceful region in the country. There is peace in the Niger Delta right now. This is courtesy of hardworking youth leaders, who have been able to maintain peace in their various domains.
“I want to thank all of you. It is peace that brings about development. Without peace, there will be no development. So, the more the environment remain peaceful, the more development will come to the region.
“Let me use this opportunity to thank Mr. President for showing us so much love. You can see that Mr. President gave us the position of number three citizen; that is Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio. The Senate President is doing very well and he is making us proud.
“For the first time, Mr. President was able to give us the minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The first Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to come from Niger Delta. If you go to Abuja today, you can see that the Minister is doing very well. This is to show that the people of Niger Delta are transformative leaders,” he said.