Ateke Tom backs Tompolo’s ultimatum on NDDC board

His Royal Majesty, King Michael Ateke Tom, the Amayanabo of the ancient Okochiri Kingdom in Rivers State, has thrown his weight behind the seven days ultimatum handed the Federal Government by the foremost Ex-Militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemukpolo also known as Tompolo, over the constitution of the substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Ateke urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently heed to the need of the region for a substantive board for the Commission, even as the forensic audit ongoing continues unending.

The former Leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante Force, in a statement signed by his Chief of Staff, Chief Tamunokonba Akaluogbo, stated the decision to back the seven days ultimatum was due to the continued insincerity and open deceit adopt by the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio in handling the affairs of the NDDC.

The royal father called on President Muhammad Buhari to display his quality of open leadership and heed to the clamour by the stakeholders in the region for the immediate constitution of a substantive board.

He said stakeholders desired to sustain the existing peace in the region despite the rising insecurity in the South-East and other regions, noting that the setting up of a substantive board was not too small to ask by a region disposed to keeping the peace and rejecting secessionists’ pressure.

Ateke said: “It is clear that Akpabio is deceitful and he means no good to the Niger Delta region particularly the Ijaws given his attitude towards reconstituting the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. Time and time, the Minister has failed in his promises and he is using the forensic audit as a decoy for his selfish aims.

“I urged him to do the needful before the region tilts towards upheaval of breakdown of law and order again because his ineptitude and lack of genuine concern for the demands of people are capable of degenerating into violence which I don’t pray for,” he said.  (Vanguard)