The Anioma Youth Forum Worldwide (AYF-W), has commended the recent judgement by the Abuja Federal High Court that dismissed the lawsuit seeking to unseat Hon. Chinedu Ebie from his position as chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The group called for unity and brotherhood among Niger Deltans, irrespective of ethnic nationalities, for progress and development.
The group made the call in a statement by the national publicity secretary Comrade Ekwukwo Elvis. He said every Niger Delta indigene is qualified to represent the region on the board.
According to the group, the judgement highlighted the fact that Anioma was part and parcel of the Niger Delta Region, and its qualified indigenes have the right to man any position in the Commission as stipulated in the Act establishing it, especially as it concerns the chairmanship of the board.
“We are glad the court has done justice, which will eternally put to rest the misconceptions about the validity of Anioma people’s holding such position(s) both now and in the future,” he said.
The statement continued, “We want to state categorically that Niger Delta is for all Niger Deltans without any one state or ethnic group being above the other. The only catalyst for the rapid and consensus development of the region is when all member states and ethnic nationalities within the region come together in mutual respect and equality and speak in one voice on all issues affecting them.”
The group, therefore, called on all ethnic nationalities within the Niger Delta to embrace a spirit of unity and brotherhood.
“The Niger Delta is a diverse region where every member state and parts contribute to the nation’s prosperity, and all should share equitably in its leadership. It is crucial that all groups respect the diverse identities and contributions within the Niger Delta, ensuring that the progress of any of its component parts and its people are not impeded by the crude sentiments of ownership or entitlement mentality,” the statement reads.
The group charged the board chaired by Chiedu Ebie and the management team led by Dr Samuel Ogbuku to buckle up and deliver the expected deliverables for Niger Delta youths, saying, “We are no longer ready to take an excuse for failure.”
The group commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for finding an Anioma son worthy to chair the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The group further urged all youths in the Niger Delta to prioritize peace, cooperation, mutual respect and constructive engagement, which is the only panacea for the sustenance of peace and, by extension, development in the region.
“The spirit of Ubuntu should pervade the region at a time like this,” it said.
