_*_call on President Tinubu to appoint people from host community for peace and Justice_

The Ondo State Host Community (HostCom), chief heads expressed strong opposition to reject the appointment of Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde from Akure and Hon. Otito Atikase from Mahin kingdom to the governing board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), on the ground that they are not from oil producing communities.


Chief Akinruntan Omoniyi of Ogodio Community and chief Abiye Hippiness from Awoye Community all in Ugbo Kingdom made this known in the statement issue after the meeting of all the Communities heads in Ondo State on Monday.

The statement stated that these nominees are not from the oil-producing community, contradicting the Legislative Act that stipulates the state's representatives must originate from such communities in the Niger-Delta.

"We are rejecting the two nominees based on the established laws of the NDDC. The HostCom has competent sons and daughters who can represent us on the board of the NDDC," the Chiefs said.

We called on President Bola Tinubu to review the NDDC Act before making nominations and assigning portfolios, expressing faith in the president's commitment to the rule of law.

The chiefs highlighted the Ugbo Kingdom as the sole oil-producing community in Ondo state and warned the state government against conspiracies targeting the kingdom.

We urged the federal government to withdraw the current nominee list and make fresh nominations from the Ugbo Kingdom, emphasizing that the Communities reject in strong terms using the position meant for oil producing communities to compensate their political ally's when we have competent sons and daughters.

We also distance themselves from any person from the host Communities that is thanking president on this matter, such person is not speaking for the Communities but for his selfish interest.

We warned that if the government fails to address our concerns, the HostCom may take matters into its own hands, with potential repercussions felt by all.

"Should the federal government persist in violating the law, we will support such actions, albeit with the intention of ensuring that their consequences are felt by all," the Communities heads warned.

Also in their statement the hostcom community heads reiterated the need for appointees to the NDDC board to come from oil-producing communities, citing a history of such nominations since the board's inception in 2000.


We implored the President Advisers to recommend nominate person from Ugbo kingdom the only Oil producing Kingdom in Ondo State for board membership and convene a meeting with stakeholders to verify the original oil producers in Ondo state.