By Ushang Ewa
The Chairman, Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba has sued for calm from the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).
The avengers had threatened to renew their hostilities and bombing of oil installations in the Niger Delta region and Ndoma-Egba in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Clara Braide said the region was already damaged by pollution and any hostility will exacerbate the already bad situation, pointing out that what the region needs in earnest is rapid development.
“Our environment is already polluted and is in dire need of restoration, destroying oil pipelines and installations would further destroy our environment and expose our people to sickness and untold hardship. It would worsen our already bad situation and expose innocent women, children and youths to grave danger.
“We appeal to NDA to still give the Government and Stakeholders more time. Resuming hostilities will be detrimental to all parties involved whether the NDA, the Region or the Government. At the end of the day it is the region that will be badly damaged and set backwards.
“NDDC is not resting on its oars in our efforts to finding a peaceful and permanent resolution of issues of development as the Commission has strategic intervention plans that should transform the region. To achieve this, however, peace is a must.
He said that the NDDC was doing its best towards finding lasting solutions, appealed for dialogue to be maintained with the Federal Government and emphasised that President Muhammadu Buhari means well for the region as demonstrated in various ways.
“The region is the Goose that lays the Golden Egg; it is our collective patrimony and should not be destroyed. We would be doing a great disservice to ourselves and our future generations if we continue to destroy our own God given heritage in order to prove points that are already proven”.
“I passionately appeal to the conscience of our people to give the region a chance to heal. Give us a chance to rebuild and restore the glory of our region,” the statement read