Ex-Niger Delta agitators under the aegis of Niger Delta Creek Defenders (NDCD) are calling for the sack of the Executive Director of Projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Victor Etim Antai for allegedly diverting contracts meant for them to himself.
The call by the ex-agitators was contained in a statement jointly signed by the National Chairman of the group, General Douglas Darekuru and their coordinators from the nine Niger Delta States and made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The aggrieved Niger Delta youths who demanded immediate action from the President, Bola Tinubu regarding Antia’s sack, threatened to occupy the NDDC gates and shut down the East West Road, and also direct their supporters to resume the hunger and end bad governance protest in the area in 10 days time if nothing is done about their demand.
The statement reads in part, “We the Creek Defenders and other ex-agitators gathered in Port Harcourt for a critical stakeholders meeting convened by the ED Projects, with the aim to join our Niger Delta leaders in solidarity to stand and defend our leaders from the Niger Delta region especially the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, following the calculated attacks on him and other Niger Delta leaders.
“We also defended the need for the South South to have a commission and also supported the then move to remain peaceful and boycott the nationwide hunger protest, as peace and development loving people, we all embraced this vision.
“We came from the creeks and all over the region to Port Harcourt to support all this moves, we were promised solar light projects to light up our dark communities, we were also promised to be put into trainings and empowerment programs.
“But, the information reaching us now is that the ED on Project, Victor has received those jobs on our behalf from the Senator President, God’swill Akpabio and the NDDC MD/CEO, Chief Sam, and has refused to give us our jobs.”
They alleged that “Since then, Etim Antai has refused to answer our calls, how much more to meet with us again. We have now concluded that he simply used us to maintain his office and used the name of the senate president and the MD of NDDC Sam Ogbuku to lie to the Niger Delta Ex-agitators. This act of using ex-agitators and dumping us must end in this region,” the statement warned.
The group warned that “Our leaders will be responsible for any protest that will result to breakdown of laws and order. Our leaders do not respect us. They see us as slaves, use us, give us transport and make false promises, we have lost faith in Victor the EDP.
“We have no option but to call on President Bola Tinubu, for the immediate sack of the ED Projects, Sir Victor Etim as we have lost confidence in him.”
The youths further called for his investigation by security agencies. They threatened to occupy the NDDC gates and the East West Road, and also direct their supporters to resume the hunger and end bad governance protest in the area in 10 days time if nothing is done to empower them.
“We are doing this regrettably, as we believe this is the only language our leaders understand. And this is the only way Mr President will take action about the immediate sack of Victor Etim Antai, so that the next ED Projects that will come will learn how to respect ex-agitators, and all critical stakeholders in this region.
“We will mobilize ex-agitators from all corners of the region to NDDC as we can no longer hold our people because all the promises made were lies, and fraudulent.
The Executive Director, Projects of the NDDC, Mr. Victor Etim Antai was yet to react to this accusations as efforts to reach him via calls proved abortive, and he was yet to respond to messages sent across to him.
