Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, and Niger Delta Development Commission Managing Director Dr. Samuel Ogbuku have urged the youth and residents of the region to avoid participating in the planned August 1 protest against economic challenges.
This appeal comes after Akpabio introduced a Youth Internship Scheme by the NDDC, aimed at providing opportunities for 10,000 youths in the Niger Delta region.
During the NDDC Executive Management Engagement with Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities and Selected Stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Akpabio stated that the proposed nationwide protests by some youths would not occur in the nine states of the Niger Delta, asserting that the region is a protest-free zone.
Detailing the Youth Internship Scheme, the Senate President said, “the 10,000 youths would be engaged in the programme designed to improve their skills, noting that the beneficiaries in the first phase would be paid N50,000 monthly.”
Akpabio mentioned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is dedicated to advancing the Niger Delta region. He pointed out that in response to a presidential order, the NDDC recently launched five major projects, including roads, bridges, and electricity across the region.
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He praised the NDDC for repairing parts of the East-West Road and assured that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project would start not only from Lagos but also simultaneously from the Niger Delta.
Akpabio also highlighted that despite the difficulties in developing the Niger Delta region, the NDDC had carried out several projects that had enhanced the lives of the residents, promising that from now on, the Commission would receive its full statutory allocations.
