BOYLOAF OTHER EX-MILITANT ‘generals’ PASS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON ACTING NDDC MD

BOYLOAF OTHER EX-MILITANT ‘generals’ PASS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ON ACTING NDDC MD

Ex-militant ‘generals’ in the Niger Delta have passed a vote of confidence in the three-member Interim Management Committee approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to oversee the affairs of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The former warlords spoke yesterday during a courtesy visit to NDDC’s corporate headquarters on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The ex- ‘general’ including Ebikabowei Victor Ben (Boyloaf) and Sobomabo Jackrich (Egberipapa) told the new members of the management team of the Federal Government’s interventionist agency that the people of the crude oil and gas-rich region were behind them.

Seated with NDDC’s Acting Managing Director, Dr. Joi Nunieh, during the visit, were the Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang, and the Acting Executive Director, Projects, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh.

Ben stated that they were at NDDC to show solidarity with the management team, stressing that they were worried by the conflicting information concerning the commission in recent times and needed to make their position clear.

He said: “We asked ourselves whether members of the Interim Management Committee are not from the Niger Delta. We want to assure you of our support and rest assured that we will throw our weight behind you”

Ben, from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, also expressed confidence that the new helmsmen at the NDDC would not disappoint the people of the region, stating that the stakeholders only needed to be sure that the team would work in the interest of the people.

Speaking in the same vein, Jackrich, a one-time caretaker chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government council of Rivers State, pointed out that with the calibre of people in the management committee of NDDC, there was no room for failure.

Jackrich said: “We trust that we now have the kind of persons that can be trusted to deliver credible and quality jobs in the Niger Delta region.”

The former LG coumcil chief (Jackrich) noted that it was reassuring that the new management committee of NDDC was taking development to the rural communities.