•Says his nomination is a rape on the NDDC Act
AKURE -A sociocultural group, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Akure Chapter, Ondo State have moved to stop Mr. Olatokumbo Ajasin from emerging as the member to represent the state in the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
This was contained in a Press Release sent to Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper Yesterday by the group’s publicity secretary Mr. Akoje Topic Peremobowei who alleged that Ajasin nomination as a member designate of the NDDC is a rape of the Act establishing the commission.
The group however, lamented heavily on the flagrant violation while sighting section 2 (b1) of the act which posits that :
“One person who shall be an indigene of an oil producing area to represent each of the nine oil producing States i.e. Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.”
Mr. Topic in the release called on President Mohamnadu Buhari to have a rethink and reconsider his decision to replace Mr. Ajasin with other candidate from an Oil producing community in the state particularly of the two oil producing areas of Ilaje or Ese-Odo Local Governments of Ondo State.
“The attention of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Worldwide, Akure Chapter, the highest social-cultural and non-partisan organization of the Ijaw ethnic nationality within and outside Nigeria has been drawn to the recent nomination of Mr Olatokunbo Ajasin as a member-designate representing Ondo State on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).” the release read.
“The INC wishes to state that the said nomination of Olatokunbo Ajasin is a rape of the Act establishing the NDDC. Section 2 (1b) of the NDDC Act is quite unambiguous for the blind to see and the deaf to simply hear and understand. The section stipulates that the board shall consist of:
“One person who shall be an indigene of an oil producing area to represent each of the nine oil producing States i.e. Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.”
“The INC therefore found it unimaginable on how a man from far away Owo in the northern senatorial district of Ondo State could be nominated for such job when the NDDC Act in clear terms made provisions for only an indigene of the two oil producing local governments of Ilaje and Ese-Odo to be nominated as a member representing Ondo State on the board of the NDDC.
“It should be noted however that the NDDC which is an offshoot of Sir Willink’s findings and recommendations towards addressing the age-long fears of the minorities in the Nigerian nation-State will be defeated if the nomination of Mr Olatokunbo Ajasin sees the light of day as there is every tendency for him to divert projects meant for the development of oil producing communities of Ilaje and Ese-Odo to other parts of the State.
“Based on the reasons outlined above, the INC Worldwide, Akure Chapter, demands the immediate withdrawal of the said Mr Olatokunbo Ayotunde Ajasin from the board of NDDC and request the kind pleasure of the President Federal Republic Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari to replace him with any credible indigene of the two oil producing areas of Ilaje or Ese-Odo Local Government of Ondo State.”
The press release also noted with particular emphasis that the establishment of the NDDC was a product of the sir, Willink Commission which was primarily to allay the fears of minorities in the Nigerian State.
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