By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has urged the Presidency and other stakeholders to protect stability and continuity at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), saying the region cannot afford another cycle of administrative disruption.
The group said the issue was bigger than any individual or administration, as instability at the interventionist agency could disrupt projects and development programmes affecting millions of people across the Niger Delta.
In a statement by its President, Dr Kennedy Tonjo West, MOSIEND said the NDDC leadership appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2023 deserved recognition for efforts to reposition the commission under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
West said the commission had prioritised the completion of abandoned and legacy projects, alongside institutional reforms, stakeholder engagement and improvements in governance, procurement, digitalisation and administration.
“This is precisely the institutional culture the Niger Delta has long demanded,” MOSIEND said.
The organisation recalled that nine managing directors served at the NDDC between 2015 and 2023, arguing that frequent leadership changes had contributed to concerns over policy discontinuity, project abandonment and duplication.
“The Niger Delta has suffered enough from discontinuity. The region needs an NDDC that is stable enough to complete what it starts, accountable enough to earn public confidence, inclusive enough to listen to its communities and sufficiently empowered to implement long-term development programmes,” it said.
MOSIEND also commended the commission’s engagement with state governments, traditional institutions, ethnic nationalities, youths, women, professional groups and development partners, citing its 2025 stakeholder conference as evidence of support for continuity and development delivery.
But the group stressed that continuity must not shield the commission from accountability, urging those with concerns over its performance or administration to use appropriate institutional and statutory channels.
“Where reforms are necessary, they should be pursued without unnecessarily dismantling a structure that is already delivering measurable programmes and projects,” MOSIEND said.
It warned that renewed uncertainty could undermine long-term planning, stakeholder confidence and development programmes in the region.
“The Niger Delta does not need another experiment in administrative instability. It needs institutions that can consolidate gains, correct weaknesses, complete projects and build on what is working,” the group said.
MOSIEND urged the Presidency, political leaders, traditional rulers, ethnic nationality organisations and civil society groups to put the broader interests of the Niger Delta above personal or sectional considerations.
The post Niger Delta can’t afford another era of instability — MOSIEND appeared first on Vanguard News.