The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has called on youths in the Niger delta region to protect oil and gas pipelines in the course of their demand for justice.
Addressing leaders and members of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) during a courtesy visit to the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, advised the youths to work with the Commission as partners for the sustainable development of the Niger delta.
She pointed out that the Niger delta belonged to the youths, urging them to “protect what belongs to them including the oil and gas pipelines”.
Mrs Semenitari further assured the youths that the present focus of the NDDC was the completion of ongoing projects to improve service delivery and bring development closer to the people of Niger Delta.
The IYC President, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, told Mrs Semenitari that their visit to the NDDC was to discuss issues of peace and security in the Niger delta, noting that youths are central to peace-building.
The IYC President also stressed that it was wrong to vandalise property in the course of the region’s engagement with government.
He warned against the award of contracts for new projects at the moment, suggesting that the NDDC should complete all on-going projects.
In another development, the acting Managing Director of the NDDC also played host to Bayelsa State leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mrs Semenitari said that her reason for hosting the Bayelsa State leadership was to discuss the need to build the region together in order to bring the dividend of the development of the interventionist agency to every part of the Niger Delta.
