FORMER Niger Delta militants on Monday demanded the sacking of the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Professor Nelson Brambaifa.

The ex-fighters, who spoke under the auspices of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural Development Initiative, said Brambaifa was not fit to be the managing director of the NDDC because he lacked the capacity to connect with the people.

A statement signed by the leader of the group, Pastor Reuben Wilson, indicated that the NDDC belonged to all Niger Delta people, adding Brambaifa’s continued stay in the agency will cause crisis.

“We are not happy with his style. Prof is not trying and we, the (ex-militant) leaders; we have agreed on getting in touch with Mr President and all security agencies on this matter. He has to go.

“Our position is that he is not fit to be MD of NDDC because as MD of NDDC, you are expected to be connected to the people and know what is going on so that you can tackle the problems.

“That office is our own office; it belongs to everyone in the Niger Delta, we are expecting him to see everybody as one. It is wrong for the MD to cause division in NDDC and in the region.

“It is for this same reason that the leadership of the IYC recently passed a vote of no confidence on him. That is how bad it is. We have reviewed activities in the NDDC since Brambaifa took over and we have concluded that if we allow things to go on like this, there will be crisis.

“We put our lives on the line some years back because we wanted a better deal for the Niger Delta. It is very annoying that despite the money that is being pumped into the NDDC, the Niger Delta people, the masses, are not feeling anything.

“When we meet Mr President, we will tell him to remove him (the Acting MD) and bring in someone that will have a listening ear, someone that will reach out to the people in Niger Delta,” the statement read.

The militants pointed out that nothing had been done to ameliorate the plight of the people in Koluama, Bayelsa State, adding that the oil community has no good road.

“There is this issue of water hyacinth. When he was a state representative, we discussed with him about how the NDDC can tackle that problem for the people. He was blaming Nsima (Ekere); that the then MD did not award the contract and that he was putting pressure for the issue to be addressed.

“Now, he is on that seat. I have personally called him many times to discuss this and other projects that are dear to the heart of the Koluama people. He will not pick the calls.

“Other colleagues and stakeholders keep calling him, but he will not talk to anybody. We were in the creeks so that the government can address these development needs of our people.  – Punch

– May 20, 2019 @ 18:59 GMT |