By Jemimah Wellington, JKNMedia Reporter
THE NIGER Delta Development Commission (NDDC), youths have expressed their support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
They made this pledge during the launch of a Youth Internship Scheme in Port Harcourt, organized by the NDDC.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, speaking at the NDDC Executive Management Engagement with Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities and stakeholders, declared the Niger Delta region a protest-free zone.
He emphasized that nationwide protests by some youths would not occur in the nine states of the Niger Delta.
The Youth Internship Scheme aims to engage 10,000 youths, providing them with a monthly stipend of N50,000 in the first phase.
Akpabio highlighted President Tinubu’s dedication to developing the Niger Delta, noting the inauguration of five flagship projects in the region, including roads, bridges, and electricity.
Akpabio praised the NDDC for restoring parts of the East-West Road and promised the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project would start simultaneously from Lagos and the Niger Delta.
He assured that the Commission would now receive its full statutory allocations.
NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku noted that the region had shifted from militant agitation to intellectual struggle, now enjoying the benefits of their efforts.
He explained the Holistic Opportunity Projects of Engagement (HOPE), aimed at identifying youth interests for skills training, with a comprehensive digital repository of information on youths’ qualifications, skills, interests, and employment.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, stressed the importance of unity and peace for progress.
He praised the NDDC for their collaborative efforts in developing the region.
Ijaw Youth Council President, Ambassador Jonathan Lokpobiri, condemned those inciting youths to anarchy and highlighted the protesters’ neglect of the East-West Road issue, acknowledging the NDDC’s efforts in providing temporary relief for the road’s users amid flooding threats.
The conference concluded with participants unanimously distancing themselves from the planned protests against President Tinubu’s administration, resolving to support peace and development in Nigeria and the Niger Delta region.
Key attendees included Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Senate Committee on NDDC Chairman Asuquo Ekpeyong, Senate Committee on Petroleum Upstream Chairman Eteng Williams, NDDC Chairman Mr. Chiedu Ebie, NDDC Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, NDDC Executive Director Projects Victor Antai, and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President Dr. Saviour Enyiekere, along with other stakeholders from the oil-producing zone.
