NDDC chair: It’s our turn –Oro youths

A civil rights organiza­tion, Oro Youth Move­ment (Oyom) has ap­pealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider one of them as the next managing di­rector of the Niger Delta Development Commis­sion (NDDC).
OYOM, founded in 1988 is to articulate and defend the democratic and fundamental rights of Oro people in Akwa Ibom State.
It consists of five local government areas name­ly, Oron Okobo, Mbo, Urueoffong/Oruko and Udung Uko.
In a letter dated Feb­ruary 22 and signed by Joseph Ekongenam and Edet Okon Nsanwara, president and director of organization/mobili­zation respectively, the group alleged marginali­sation of its members.
Highlighting valuable economic potential of its member communi­ties, it lamented that the communities have not only been neglected, “but traumatised, mar­ginalised and excluded in the democratic gov­ernance and sharing for­mula in the state.
According to OYOM, none of its member com­munities had ever been appointed as the NNDC chairman/managing di­rector since its creation.
The letter read: ‘’The Ibibios have been ap­pointed the NNDC chairman, Ambassador Sam Edem and Bassey Dan Abia as managing director of NNDC’’
It further alleged that one Obong Umana Okon Umana from the North-West Senatorial District of the state is already making efforts to corner the position of the chief executive of­ficer of the commission.
Asking rhetorically it said: “Why would he (Umana) look for the office of the managing director when Ambas­sador Edem and himself come from Akwa Ibom North-West (Uyo) sena­torial district.’’
The movement re­called that when Akwa Ibom was created in 1987, its founding fa­thers were categorical in the sharing formula on the basis of Ibibio, five, Annang, three and Oron, two.
“Unfortunately, the modem Ibibios and par­ticularly the Annangs have jettisoned the ar­rangement which single handedly produced Godswill Akpabio as the governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2007.’’
It appealed to Presi­dent Buhari to ensure that an Oro, from Akwa Ibom State is appointed the next chief executive officer of the NNDC.
“Mr President, we beg of you as a lover of minorities and the only hope of the minorities in Nigeria to give the office of the managing director of NNDC to an Oro son or daughter.

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