A Niger Delta chieftain, Nature Dumale, on Sunday hailed the decision of President Bola Tinubu to return the supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to the Presidency.

“We are standing behind President Tinubu and we await, with great enthusiasm and renewed vigour, the speedy development of our homeland,” he stated.

Mr Dumale, the national secretary of the First Phase Ex-agitator, gave the commendation on behalf of ex-agitators in a statement.

“It is heart-warming to hear that the NDDC will henceforth report directly to the President like the North East Development Commission (NEDC). This development is like an answered prayer. I had in the past led a campaign for the commission to be directly supervised by the President positive impact,” he said.

Mr Dumale, the chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Strategic Communication Committee, added, “Tinubu has, by this singular act, demonstrated his genuine intention to turn around the fortunes of the NDDC and by extension, the Niger Delta region.”

He said the the Niger Delta suffered lack of development over the years because greedy individuals were allowed to convert many interventions of the federal government for the region, to personal use.

Mr Dumale said, “We, in Niger Delta region want to use this opportunity to appreciate Mr. President, for the wisdom in returning the NDDC to the Presidency. We believe that this will speed up the development of the region, and stem the culture of turning the Commission into a cash cow.

He stressed that it “is a sign that the president has good intentions for the Niger Delta region for summoning the political will to move the interventionist agency back to the Presidency.

“As ex-agitators, we can boldly say that the Niger Delta has been suffering because of mismanagement. This move will engender accountability, transparency and the much touted development of the Niger Delta, would become a reality,” Mr Dumale explained. “This is one step Mr. President has taken to give us hope as leaders in the region. We believe that the NDDC under the supervision of the Presidency would facilitate meaningful development.”

He noted that the “only time we experienced some development was when NDDC was under the direct supervision of the Presidency,” pointing out that as “soon as it was moved to the Ministry of Niger Delta, it became a cash cow, for the Niger Delta Cartel, whose only agenda, is to keep the Niger Delta underdeveloped.”

Mr Dumale said it was discovered that apart from the NDDC and the PAP, there is a Niger Delta Recovery Plan (NDRP), which mandates the ministries of petroleum, environment and Niger Delta affairs, to work in synergy in articulating the development of the region.

“We live in an environment where a lot is taken away on a daily basis by the federal government, yet there is little to show for it. The condition of Ogoni-Onne-Eleme Road, which is part of the East-West road, comes to mind. The road has remained a death trap making it impossible for free movement of goods,” stated Mr Dumale.

(NAN)