The group in a statement on Sunday signed by the national coordinator, Fiawei Pathfinder, and the National Secretary, Sir A.K Peters, expressed confidence in the ability of Umana to pilot the affairs of the ministry.
It described the newly-inaugurated minister as an astute administrator, development and financial expert, technocrat and a firm believer in the anti-corruption mantra of the Buhari administration.
The ND-APCYV said that Umana had performed creditably when he served as the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, adding that he would bring his wealth of experience garnered over the years in public service to bear in his new assignment.
The group noted Umana’s appointment came at the appropriate time, especially as the Niger Delta Development Commission required fresh vigour to tackle developmental challenges in the region.
It also expressed optimism that Umana’s appointment would bring about the constitution and inauguration of a substantive board for the NDDC by Buhari.
The ND-APCYV congratulated Umana on his successful swearing in by the President, and also lauded the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi for his role in the appointment of the new Niger Delta Affairs minister.
The group said, “We commend and appreciate Mr President for his wise wisdom for appointing a man of service and a game-changer, a financial and development expert to head a sensitive Ministry such as the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, especially at this point the people of the region are yearning and agitating for the inauguration of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Board).
“If constituted, the board will as well fast-track development to the people of the region. With Umana’s appointment, it is a new dawn in the Niger Delta region because we as a people have so much confidence in the intellectual capacity of Umana’s choice of appointment to oversee the Affairs of the Ministry and that of the NDDC.
“Your emergence is at the right time to change the narrative and to right the wrongs done to us by the previous administers of the ministry who single-handedly opposed the inauguration of the substantive board appointed by Mr President for the NDDC, for reasons best known to them.”
The ND-APCYV, therefore, called on the leaders and stakeholders of the Niger Delta to jettison sentiments and partisanship, and rally round Umana to ensure that the region was given the adequate attention it deserved to solve the developmental problems in the area.
“We as a group has all it takes to give you all the necessary backing to ensure your tenure is very successful and to enable you deliver the dividends of democracy to our people in the region because our membership cuts across the entire nine states of the region with structures all over the local government areas and wards…,” the group added.
