The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on the National Assembly to ‘sanction’ Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for flouting the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Act, considering the continuous stay of the Interim Management Committee.

The group also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to swear in the substantive board of the Commission for developments to kick off in the region.

Its President, Eric Omare, in a statement, argued that the minister’s action ridicules the powers of the National Assembly.

IYC also hailed the decision of the House of Representatives, which called for dissolution of the “illegal” IMC currently piloting the affairs of the interventionist agency.

It said the Niger Delta has been “saved from a state of chaos” by the singular act.

According to the IYC, “The House of Representatives has by this singular decision demonstrated that it exists to protect the rule of law for democracy to thrive in Nigeria.

“We further commend the House of Reps for reinforcing the position of the Senate that the interim management committee is illegal, null and void in the light of the confirmation of the NDDC board members by the Senate in conjunction with the House of Representatives.

“However, in addition to calling for the dissolution of the illegal management committee, the IYC calls on the National Assembly to sanction the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for insisting on the continuance in office of the illegal interim management committee despite the resolutions of the National Assembly and the clear provisions of the NDDC Establishment Act.

“The actions of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio, is an affront on the powers of the National Assembly and should be sanctioned to act as deterrent to others and put a stop to the ongoing act of illegality in the NDDC.”

Urging President Buhari to inaugurate the board, the IYC noted that the delay is impeding developments that the region is in dire need of from the federal government.

“We also call on President Buhari to inaugurate the board of the NDDC that has been confirmed by the Senate to enable the NDDC attend to the urgent developmental issues demanding for federal government urgent attention in the Niger Delta region.

“The Niger Delta region is massively suffering the absence of a substantive leadership of the NDDC and it would amount to great injustice to the region to further delay the inauguration of the board,” the IYC stated.