A group, Niger Delta Coalition of Justice and Equity (NDCJE), has thumbed down the federal government over what it termed its unfair treatment of the Niger Delta people in terms of appointments and development efforts.
This was contained in a press statement issued Wednesday by the group’s national coordinator, Alaowe Preye Dokubo, and national secretary, Comrade Olisa Ode Osundi.
It read in part, “As partners that believe in the course of Nigeria as a dear nation as well as believe in putting square pegs in square holes, and uplifting merit over mediocrity in all its ramifications, we are hereby compelled to critically and objectively analyse the current letter from the president to the National Assembly, presenting someone for confirmation as acting director-general.
Dr. Halilu Shaba Ahmad had not acted in any capacity before now, not to talk about that of the director-general/chief executive of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA); and he is even number eight in the hierarchy of the nominal roll of the agency since Mr. Jonathan Angulu left as the acting director-general of the agency.
“We wish to recall that Mr. Angulu handed over the mantle of leadership to the most senior management staff in person of Dr. Francis Chizea Dubem, a renowned research fellow with 21 years of service at NASRDA, who has been in charge of the organisation till date, and the first vice-chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; a position bestowed on him based on the recommendation of the African Group Task Force on Space Science and Technology, based in Vienna, Austria.”
“We appeal to the president to, as a matter of national interest, revert to status quo, and set aside the letter sent to the National Assembly and do the right thing, by confirming Dr. Dubem, who is far more capable than Mr. Halidu.
“The NDCJE appropriately urges Niger Deltans, South-south indigenes, and, indeed, Nigerians to rise up and condemn this injustice meted out to a fellow Nigerian. President Buhari should do the rightful thing and make this very important decision by appointing Dr. Dubem as the substantive DG of NARSDA. By the way, Dr. Dubem is a foundation staff and it is even on record that the office property that NARSDA first used was his father’s personal property.”
