The leadership and members of the Coalition of Delta Ijaw Oil Producing Communities (CDIOPC) have described the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as the chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission as a “slap in the face”.
This is even as they congratulated Hon. Samuel Ogbuku on his appointment as managing director of the NDDC.
In a statement, the national coordinator of the coalition of Delta Ijaw Oil Producing Communities (CDIOPC), Comrade Covidolor, expressed appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for constituting the long-awaited board and making a credible Bayelsan the managing director.
He, however, said the appointment of the chairman was unacceptable and totally condemnable.
He said; “ The Delta Ijaw has never tasted the position of the chairman right from inception and we felt, we have been marginalised, deprived relegated to the background again.
“Making Mrs. Lauretta chairman of the NDDC is not just an insult but, a heavy slap to the Delta Ijaws. The Ijaw communities in Delta State produces highest barrel of crude oil compare to other ethnic groups in the state yet, we have been treated as second class citizens.”
Th group called on President Buhari to quickly replace Lauretta with a Delta Ijaw man irrespective of political affiliation without further delay.
“It has come to our understanding that, Mr. President is taking our simplicity for granted and we are not going to stand erect with our hands, we will longer sleep with our two eyes closed until Mr. president make a u-turn by appointing an Ijaw man from Delta State.
“Mrs. Lauratta has never been in the Niger Delta Niger struggle, she doesn’t understand the struggle, she hasn’t contributed any quota for the betterment of the Niger Delta, she doesn’t know our needs and priorities. Therefore, she will only use any available fund in the agency to enrich herself and abandon the primary aim of the NDDC if screened and inaugurated.
“We know how to communicate our burdens to the Federal Government and if Mr. President refuse to give us hearing ear, we will use the normal language from the creeks of Niger Delta and federal government will hear from us sharply.”
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