The Nigerian Police has threatened to arrest all students who shall protest at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt with regards to the ongoing, but pitiable show of sham, crass national embarrassment and gross misconduct at the National Assembly.

Recall that the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) held a meeting in Port Harcourt on the 23rd of July, 2020 to discuss relevant issues bordering on the intensive looting that has happened in the Niger Delta.

In a communiqué signed by the Coordinator and Secretary of NANS Zone B (Comr. Etinyene Friday Offongekpe (UNIUYO, Akwa Ibom) and Nwokocha Obusoh Noble (Rivers State University, PH)) after the extraordinary meeting, the Leadership of NANS arrived at the following resolution and ultimatum.

1. That we commend and align totally with the decision of President Mohammed Buhari on the forensic audit of the commission starting from the inception and plead that Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei lead Interim Management Committee (IMC) tenure be included in the audit because they have proven not to account for over N 50bn within six months of being appointed. We support that the forensic should start and be concluded on record time.

2. That since Dr Joi Nunieh the former IMC Managing Director and Sen. Godswill Akpabio the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs have publicly agreed that the forensic is yet to commence due to late approval, we plead that President Mohammed Buhari should appoint independent foreign auditors and directly oversee the forensic audit.

3. That Sen. Godswill Akpabio the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs should resign with immediate effect because his credibility has been called to question by the National Assembly Committee and the former IMC-Managing Director Dr Joi Nunieh.

4. That based on 3 above, we urge President Mohammed Buhari to as a matter of urgency appoint a more credible Niger Deltan to the portfolio because his continuous stay in the office will put doubt on the forensic audit.

5. That we reject the call to move the NDDC to the office of the Secretary General of the Federation as we still believe that Niger Delta still have competent and capable hands to supervisor the commission under the ministry.

6. That the NDDC should pay all the oversea students scholarship entitlements with immediate effect or face the wrath of the students’ community.

7. That President Mohammed Buhari should dissolve Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei lead interim management committee (IMC) and look closely to appoint credible Niger Deltans to constitute a new management board.

8. This resolution if not met within 14 days will leave us with no option than to relocate and occupy the commissions’ headquarters and forestall all activities until our demands are granted.

So Sequel to this Ultimatum above, the Rivers State Command has threatened to arrest and imprison all students found around the NDDC headquarters. Meanwhile, Comr. Noble the NANS Secretary in a Press Statement released today in Port Harcourt on behalf of the Zone posited the following:

1. As Nigerian students of the Niger Delta origin, we have the constitutional right to a peaceful protest against any wrong action as it has to do with the region.

2. The welfare of Niger Delta students sent out to study abroad has been jeopardized and compromised and the funds allocated for the purpose has been looted by some very greedy individuals and such act must be given stiff resistance until the fees are paid in full.

3. The development of the Niger Delta region is of utmost and paramount concern to us as we are all stakeholders of the region, (particularly, the future of the Niger Delta region), and any thing detrimental to it's development will also get a stiff opposition from the students community.

NANS has said no going back, the protest must hold.