By Obayelu Igbekele
It is important to appreciate the Nigerian Senate, its President, Dr Ahmad Lawan and all other Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with special accolades to our Ondo State Senators for acknowledging the plight of the Ilaje people who wrote and demonstrated peacefully to condemn the nomination of Mr Charles Ogunmola as the Executive Director of Project on the NDDC Board from the Southwest on the ground that his nomination negates the provisions of the NDDC Act, 2000; which states that nominee must come from the Oil Producing Communities in Ondo State.
We are very grateful that the National Assembly has proven to be the custodian of our laws and the hope of Nigerians.
I, therefore, call on good people of the Ilaje Nation to remain awake and pursue the Nomination of EDP (Executive Director of Project) in the NDDC to all necessary quarters, most especially the presidency, through the Ondo State political Representatives at all levels.
Although we’ve gotten positive feedback from the National Assembly accordingly to our request for the disqualification of the nomination of Mr Ogunmola as the NDDC State nominee. This is not final as we need to take a step further to strategically and vigorously pursue our request for the presidency to nominate a qualified indigene of the Ilaje local government Area to secure the nomination as the EDP on the NDDC Board in line with the NDDC Act, 2000.
Also, we must understand as a people that the said Nomination is now open, and may be sorted after by other individuals from other Niger Delta States. So, we are not to be tired or satisfied at this point to become confident that we have it all.
So, I urge the good people of Ilaje Nation, our leaders in all capacities, the Ondo State Leaders, and most especially the Ondo State Government to rise to this urgent need to secure the nomination of the EDP for the people of ilaje Nation who are the rightful owner of the position at this period in time.
I use this medium to appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to adhere to his initial position by zoning the nomination of the Executive Director of Project (EDP) on the NDDC Board to Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
This will further buttress the president’s position as a resolute leader and a father who is a God-sent to the people of the Ilaje Nation.
Recall, that the people of the Ilaje Nation have been seeking the help of the president to ameliorate the excessively devastating effect of oil exploration on our environment which has led to the contamination of our waters, destruction of fishing occupation in our region, and the continuous ocean surge leading to the loss of the lives and properties of our people. Above all, our Local Government Area is the headquarter of all the abandoned project in NDDC’s region.
Therefore, the nomination of EDP to Ondo State is an answered prayer and a blessing to the oil-producing communities in the state. So, we appeal to Mr President to sustain the nomination of the EDP to an indigene of the Ilaje oil-producing community in Ondo State.
Importantly, it has come to our notice that some top officials in the government are working endlessly to manipulate and override the initial arrangement of the President by shifting the position of the EDP from Ondo State to another oil-producing State in the Niger Delta.
We, therefore, cry out against this mischievous act with total condemnation and seek the unwavering support of the President to protect the interests of the Ondo State people from the oil-producing Local Government Area to secure the EDP position without any interference from other power blocks in the country.
The Ilaje people, the Ondo State people, and Nigerians will be forever grateful to the President for his resolute leadership spirit.
God bless Nigeria!
Comr. Igbekele Stephen Obayelu is the Founder/President of Omuro Development Initiative.
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