A militant group, the 21st Century Youths of the Niger Delta Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC), has condemned the invasion and vandalisation of the office of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The group also flayed the protest by some allegedly sponsored political thugs in the guise of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) on the East-West Road on Monday, leading to the blockade of the major expressway linking the South South to other parts of Nigeria for many hours.
The 21st CYNDAC in a statement on Wednesday by its Coordinator, ‘General’ Izon Ebi, via electronic mail, warned that the revered name of the IYC should not be dragged in the mire by some ignorant and jobless youths.
It said some disgruntled Niger Delta stakeholders, who were afraid of the outcome of the the President Muhammadu Buhari’s ordered forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, were seeking every possible means to truncate the audit.
The militant group said the management of the NDDC by previous administrations called for stocktaking and revitalisation of the commission under the supervisory leadership of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The group, therefore, called on Niger Delta youths to be wary of the antics of some disgruntled stakeholders of the region and avoid being hoodwinked by those enemies of the Niger Delta to truncate the forensic audit and set the region on fire.
It said the outcome of the forensic audit is for the benefit of the larger Niger Delta people and the region, rather than for a few persons.
The 21st CYNDAC said, “We therefore use this opportunity to call on key stakeholders and our royal fathers to swing into action and caution their subjects because the essence of establishing the NDDC was primarily to develop the region that has suffered neglect and marginalisation for decades.
“Therefore, the 21st CYNDAC and Niger Deltans are resolute and determined to see and shame those that have mismanaged the so called N17trn accrued to the commission without anything to show for it.”