President Muhammadu Buhari has received praise from the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) for dismissing Efiong Akwa, the interim administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
In a statement, Peter Igbifa, the president of the IYC, expressed the group’s joy over Mr. Buhari’s decision to put an end to the practice of interim governments in the NDDC.
The scenario, according to Mr. Igbifa, has crippled the commission and prevented equal participation by all member states in the interventionist agency’s work as intended by the Act establishing it.
He said Mr Buhari’s order that the board of the NDDC should be reconstituted in line with the Act was long overdue.
While acknowledging that it was better late than never, Mr Igbifa recalled that the IYC led by him had through various actions bemoaned the “draconian leadership style introduced in NDDC” and called for a substantive board.
He urged the president’s aides to urgently swing into action to carry out his directives on the reconstitution of the commission’s board.
“Now that the President has given a marching order, we only hope that those saddled with the responsibility of implementing it will act fast to save the image of the President.
“We have noticed in the past how the President’s orders were disregarded by his aides, who were more concerned about protecting their personal interests than the national interests with total disregard to the image of their principal.”