NDDC: Group Faults Itsekiri Nationality Over Court Action Against Onochie

A group known as G-37 has condemned the Itsekiri Ethic Nationality for dragging the federal government to court over the recent appointments of two illustrious Niger-Deltans, Lauretta Onochie and Dr Samuel Ogbuku, as chairman and managing director respectively of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The national coordinator, Comrade Evans City, said in Abuja yesterday that it is very unfortunate that the ethnic nationality could go to the extent of instituting a legal action in a bid to stop indigenes of Niger Delta from assuming the positions which were graciously allocated by the president of Nigeria who is of a northern extraction to the Niger Delta people.

The group passed a vote of confidence on the new leadership of NDDC, saying the people of South- South are now growing above ethnic politics and militancy which has held them down for a long time to a nationally acceptable politics of inclusion.

He called on stakeholders from Niger Delta to intervene by ensuring that the matter is settled out of court to enable the new management of NDDC resume immediately.

It would be recalled that Omadino Unity Forum, which claimed to represent Itsekiri ethnic nationality and leaders of thought in Delta State had sued President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Senate President, Ahmed Lawal, Senate, the nominated chairperson of NDDC, Lauretta Onochie, and the managing director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, over the NDDC appointment which they alleged was against the spirit and letter of fairness. This was despite Senate’s confirmation of Mrs Onochie as the substantive chairman.