By David Owei,Bayelsa

A coalition of youth groups in the Niger Delta, has revealed that Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is gaining massive support from the region due to the outstanding performance of the current leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The groups also stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the 2027 presidential election on a platter of gold if the Dr. Samuel Ogbuku-led NDDC continues with the good work it is doing in the region.

The Over 20 youth groups in the Niger Delta, including the Crusaders for Niger Delta Community Development (CNDCD), and the Niger Delta Youth Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP), made their positions known after a stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Thursday to assess the achievements of the commission since the current board was inaugurated.

They had taken a tour of most projects undertaken and completed by the current board, including ongoing projects and inherited ones which are spread across the length and breadth of the Niger Delta; saying that they are quite impressed.

In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the youth leadership commended Dr. Ogbuku and his men for the people-oriented projects spread across the region which have made life more meaningful to the people.

The communique was jointly signed by Amb. Jesse Ese, the National Coordinator of Crusaders for Niger Delta Community Development (CNDCD), Pastor Jude Teidor Olayinka, the National President of Niger Delta Youth Coalition for Peace and Progress (NDYCPP), Comrade Tonbra Kingdom Yeri, Chairman, Council Of Organisational Leaders (COOL) IYC.

Others include, Amb. Prince Tonye Jeminimiema, Rt. Hon. Speaker, Rivers State Youth Leaders Assembly, Comrade Amb. Rufus Ekewoi Jefferson, National President, Niger Delta Youths for Practical Development, Comrade Datonye Iketubosin, Coalition of Ijaw Youths, CIY, Comrade George Okitikpi, Secretary, Niger Delta for Non-violence Youth Leaders Assembly, Comrade Tonye Richmond Dokubo, Chairman, Association for Non Violence in Niger Delta (ANND), Prince Benjamin Joshua, South South Youth Leaders Coalition for Eradication of Poverty.

Also, Comrade Chinedu Anokwute, Imo Community Youth Leaders Association, Comrade Ibifubara Jackreece, National Coordinator, Niger Delta Ethnic Youths Roundtable, Comrade McPrince Mbu, National Coordinator, Niger Delta Youth for Environmental Rights Protection (NDYERP), Engr. Tamunosaki O. Ibieneye, National Coordinator, League of Niger Delta Professionals, Comrade Dimieari Pepple, National President, Ibom Youths Alliance (Akwa Ibom), Comrade Alfred Harry, Chairman, Niger Delta Young Entertainer’s Forum (Delta State), Comrade Michael Omachi, President, United Rivers Coalition, Comrade Princess Dawari George Charity, President, Prestigious Ladies of Nigeria, and Mmedara Idorenyin Akpan, National Secretary, Youth Advocacy for Greater Efficiency in Governance, amongst others.

The communique read by Pastor Jude Olayinka of NDYCPP thanked President Tinubu for the appointment of the current leadership of the board which they described as a round peg in a round hole; saying that for the first time since the formation of the NDDC, the commission is meeting the developmental and human capacity needs of the people of the region.

It says, “When you talk of transiting from transaction to transformation, it means that policy framework, programmes should be laid in such a way that it makes greater room for continuity and effective and efficient service delivery on the part of the institution that is driving it.”

“If the institution has no solid foundation on ground, it will create room for inefficiency, ineffectiveness, laxity and all other vices, but the current NDDC board has laid a very good foundation, first of all for management, and then the workers – in line with internationally accepted standards and policies; setting the pace for regional prosperity, educational improvement and advancement, economic growth, health, infrastructure and every other thing, and these are things everybody can see.”

“Look at the scholarships in the educational sector, foreign scholarship. The processes to gain the scholarship are very fair, credible, transparent and it encourages healthy competition for people to thrive.”

“Look at his programmes with the first lady. So, even in the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, they are trying to touch lives, and don’t forget that it is only recently the federal government is approving their budget.”

“So, with this budget being released, you can see that a good foundation has already been laid and development will now come in, so this is an A team, and everybody from the MD to the least are all seasoned technocrats.”

“Look at the robust engagements with all stakeholders…, and it is not just engagement like a teaparty affair, all the ideas and resolutions brought in by stakeholders are what the NDDC is using to work, and so the people now have a say on how they want their areas to be developed – these are the things endearing people to this Tinubu’s government.”

“Don’t forget, people were thinking the NDDC would be run based on political party affiliation – where it is just a party thing and only members of the APC will benefit, but Ogbuku is carrying everybody along irrespective of their political parties.”

“Look at their relationship with the state governors, even those who are not members of the APC, it is very robust, and everyone can see the healthy engagement that they have. You can see the humility of the current leaders of the commission.”

“Also, look at the stakeholders, the ethnic nationalities – the Ogbuku-led NDDC is touching every facet of the society, none is left behind.”

“Even the youths, none is left behind – all shades of the youth bodies are being carried along.”

“Look at the light system, the power system. Knowing the high cost of generating power, the solar system became a magic wand; causing robust transformation in the communities, thereby reducing insecurity and causing commercial activities to be done all through the night.”

“People are beginning to have more comfort doing their businesses and everybody is happy, and we hear on a very strong authority that the NDDC will embark on solar powered borehole systems across Niger Delta communities.”

“And all these things are meant to address major problems bedeviling our communities – lack of light, good educational system and water. And don’t forget, some states are seriously challenged by cholera pandemic mostly caused and spread by lack of portable drinking water, and if these solar boreholes are put in place, most of these health problems caused by drinking of contaminated water will no longer be there.”

“Also, this current leadership has done a great deal when you talk of continuity of projects. It is out of this world that any government would come and say we want to inherit abandoned projects, knowing the political mentality of our people, that no matter how much you try to complete abandoned projects, it is those who initiated the project that will be given the credit; failing to understand that it is the person who finished it that did the greatest job and should take the credit. But, despite that, Ogbuku and his team say they are ready to finish every abandoned project undertaken by the NDDC.”

“Seriously, this administration needs a pat on the back, they need encouragement from all sectors. Look at the youth internship training – we are talking about the Project Hope that is training people on vocational skills.”

“Most of the international communities you see, the Chinese, Koreans, Egyptians in our construction sites are not academically oriented – they come to work in the country with vocational certificates that they are using to market themselves across the globe.”

“Most of the Koreans you see working in the LNG site only possess mechanical and technical vocational skills and craftsmanship, and that is what is selling. It is the vocational skill that they use in building LNG there, only few of them are educated. Training our youths in this skill is a clear indication that, in no distant time, Niger Deltans can comfortably start and finish the construction of LNG plant and even export labour.”

“So, building vocational skills is the foundation for industrialization, just like America did.”

“Now, look at it, the youth internship scheme is meant to train 10,000 youths, but you see a situation where over 3 million people are applying – meaning about 2,990,000 people will not be selected, and the process is very credible, so it’s going to take time, and those that are not selected will be agitated, you know, but they should give the board more time.”

“The bottom line is that they are focused, and they have the ambition and political will to do it. And so far, everyone can see that the team has a very tall vision to translate the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president to every nook and cranny of the Niger Delta.”

“This has caused massive regional love and support for the Tinubu-led government, because, the government they see is the one close to them which is the NDDC Board representing the Federal Government at the communities with palpable impact, and that is the way the government operates.”

“The superb performance of the NDDC is towards giving democratic dividends to the good people of Niger Delta, and that is causing Niger Delta Youths, Elders, Women and politicians (across party divide) to support the federal government.”

“So, as long as the NDDC and the Niger Delta people are concerned, Tinubu is working very effectively, it means Tinubu is working very well in that sector, and for us in the Niger Delta, the only sector that is working is the NDDC.”

“So, if you ask the average Niger Delta stakeholders and the common man who are benefiting from the programmes and projects of the NDDC, they will tell you President Tinubu is on the verge of making history in the Niger Delta and that is true.”

“Because as the NDDC is engaging the people, it is Tinubu’s government that is engaging the people, and they are engaging with their agenda, and that is what governance is all about, policies that have direct bearing on the people. Things that the people see, feel and enjoy, and with that, they know that these people are working.”

“So, as far as they are concerned, the Tinubu-led government is working because the NDDC is working optimally, consequently, these efforts are bringing massive support for the Tinubu government – from the lens of the youths, critical stakeholders and leaders of ethnic nationalities, this administration is working.”

“For example, during the past Christmas, the intervention of the Tinubu government through the NDDC brought joy and succour to the people, which greatly complemented the state governments’ support to the locals, if NDDC didn’t step in, so many people would not have been able to celebrate the Christmas.”

“Leadership succeeds through delegation of functions, and if the people assigned to do those jobs are working effectively, then the government is succeeding from that sector, because if people want to analyze, they will analyze success and failure sector by sector.”

“We, the coalition of various youth groups, sat down to analyze deeply, and we found out that the current NDDC Board is working effectively, and people are feeling the dividends, and people who were very far from the commission are now coming close because of the good works of the Board members.”

“Irrespective of party divide, irrespective of ethnicity, everyone is being carried along, so this administration should be encouraged and not pulled down because it has not reached your turn.”

“Even us, the coalition of youth groups, we have not benefited, but we are not angry going to the press to make bogus accusations, we are still on a very long queue and we know that one day, it will get to our turn.”

“The members of various groups present here also registered for the youth internship and Project Hope, if peradventure some of them don’t scale through, it doesn’t mean the NDDC is partial or ineffective, it’s an ongoing process that will accommodate all qualified applicants in subsequent batches, the issue with our youths is that everybody wants to be in the first batch,” the communique added.