Protesting Ijaw Youths Shut NDDC Office, Block East-West Road

Protesting members of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) have sealed the office of the Niger Delta Development Commission in Bayelsa State over the Federal Government’s failure to constitute the agency’s board.

This follows the expiration of the one-month ultimatum which they have given to the Federal Government to constitute and inaugurate a substantive board for the NDDC.

The group issued the ultimatum earlier in April and threatened that they will disrupt socio-economic activities in the region if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to meet the deadline.

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The youths made good of their threat on Wednesday morning as they locked the gate of the NDDC building and staged a protest in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The youths insist they will not open the NDDC building until the substantive board is constituted.

They also blocked some roads leading to the NDDC office causing gridlock among motorists and commuters.

Vice-Chairman of the group, Kockmann Kurobo explained the importance of the Federal Government constituting the board immediately.

He said the use of interim administrators to run the affairs of the NDDC is depriving the region of equal representation which undermines even development.

The youths also called for the immediate release of their President, Peter Igbifa, who is alleged to have been kidnapped yesterday in Port Harcourt.

Igbifa was on his way to the International Airport Port Harcourt on Tuesday to board a flight to Abuja for a meeting when masked gunmen reportedly blocked his vehicle, seized him, and took him away.