A group of Niger Delta agitators yesterday threw their weight behind the plan by President Muhammadu Buhari to develop the Niger Delta region, but warned that the continued stay in office of the current board and management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) would affect the plan. In a statement signed by the National Coordinator, General John Duku, the said: “We declare our total and unalloyed support to the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari in his effort to develop the Niger Delta region, and we pledge to give the Federal Government all the necessary support they may require in order to change the situation of the Niger Delta region as stipulated in the Niger Delta master plan.

“We commend Mr. President for sacking the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Alh. Babachir Lawal and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA); and we also call on President Muhammadu Buhari to also suspend the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Dr. Maikanti Baru, and set up a high powered committee to investigate the mismanagement and other misconducts going on in NNPC as seen in the leaked memo.

“We unanimously call on Mr. President to dissolve the current Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) led by Sen. Ndoma Egba and Mr. Nsima Ekere, Chairman and MD respectively as they have derailed from its mandate. “We totally condemn the recent stoppage of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) meeting in Port Harcourt by the Police and DSS and warn that such thing should not repeat itself again as we may not take it lightly.”