Heavy protest looms Bayelsa State as Ijaw Youth Council shuts down NDDC’s office, barricades roads
In partial fulfilment of its promise to stage a heavy protest to demand the substantive board appointment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has staged a heavy protest against the Commission having failed the ultimatum one month given to the President and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to constitute the board for effective operation.
In Bayelsa State, the IYC Worldwide shut down the Bayelsa office of the NDDC and equally blocked the Mbiama-axis of the East-West road for several hours.
While protesting, the IYC members, with IYC flags, was said to have stopped traffic along the ever-busy East-West Road causing serious roadblock.
The IYC took the possession of the office by hanging the IYC flag at the gate of the NDDC’s office in Yenagoa.
You would recall that the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) had given a 30-day ultimatum to the President and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to constitute the substantive board of the NDDC which expired on Tuesday, May 25.
The IYC national president, Peter Timothy Igbifa, was said to have been kidnapped by unknown masked gunmen recently, ostensibly in an attempt to foil today’s protest
Igbifa was on his way to the Port Harcourt International Airport on Tuesday to board a flight to Abuja for a meeting when the gunmen blocked his vehicle and whisked him away to an unknown destination.
But the resilient IYC youths mobilised themselves and have taken to the streets.
First, they shut down the NDDC office in Yenagoa before heading to block the East-West Road.
The IYC youths are asking for the constitution of a substantive board of NDDC, instead of a sole administrator running a one-man show.
