IYC blames NDDC crisis on deviation from Niger Delta masterplan

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IYC blames NDDC crisis on deviation from Niger Delta masterplan

Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has blamed deviation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from the Niger Delta regional masterplan for the crisis rocking the agency.

The new IYC president, Peter Igbifa, who was elected on Sunday, said the issue of so much resources being expended in Niger Delta without commensurate projects on ground would be dealt with “when the commission begins to adhere to the regional masterplan.”

Speaking in Port Harcourt yesterday, Igbifa noted that the NDDC was established because of the unrest in the region; hence much struggle was not required to make it work for the common good.

Vowing that the IYC under his watch would mandate the NDDC to adhere to its regional masterplan, he declared that the era when the interventionist agency decided projects to be implemented without stakeholders’ input was over.

“Part of the problem we have seen in the development of Niger Delta is that once somebody is appointed without a strong background for the job, he begins to come up with the things that are alien to the purpose of his appointment,” he said.

Igbifa explained that the blueprint for the creation of NDDC and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs had been misplaced; hence the East-West Road was abandoned.

According to him, the NDDC has a big role to play in the Niger Delta; and it must follow its own roadmap in the development of the region. His words, “The issue of resources being expended so much in Niger Delta but cannot be equated to values seen will be dealt with the moment we deal with the issue of blueprint.

“I don’t want our people to point fingers on those who are not our problem. We will look at where we missed the direction.”On the issues of illegal oil bunkering and artisanal refineries that have continued to destroy the environment of the Niger Delta, the IYC president said the Federal Government was to blame for failure to implement the modular refinery policy. He stressed that the IYC was not at war with the Federal Government, adding that as far as the affairs of the Niger Delta was concerned, the group would not tolerate negligence of the region.