Gentlemen of the Press,
We convey to you,all Nigerians and foreign nationals that ply the aforementioned route who in the spirit of solidarity and comradeship supported the noble struggle for the total reconstruction of the road mentioned above for the past days our fraternal greetings and gratitude.
We are moved by the vicissitudes of this juncture to address you while having full knowledge of the fact that press attention as Dr. Boutros Boutros Ghali would put it, is like a beam of light which illuminates where it shines but leaves all else in obscurity. In light of the aforesaid, recall that on the 20th of November, 2019, NDAF issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Federal Road Maintenance Agency and Niger Delta Development Commission to fix the deplorable Itu/Odukpani-Calabar road and failure to comply shall be accompanied with 5-days total closure of the road. Sadly, the agencies concerned waved the ultimatum with a sleight of hand until it expired on the 11th of December.
The facts are not in dispute that on the 12th, NDAF matched her words with action which was done under the precinct of the law with most of you ably present. On the third day of the agitation, the Special Senior Assistant to president Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Distinguished Senator Ita Enang was at the protest venue where he expressed displeasure with the said contractor that supposed to handle the work and later in the night, the Honourable minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fasola, SAN appealed to our conscience live on NTA that a sum of N3bn has been released to Julius Berger to begin palliative works on the road and that the protest be halted to give the construction company access to the site.
Having consulted with concerned groups and relevant authorities to verify the authenticity of the Minister's claim, our National President Comrade Success Jack declared a temporary halt to the protest, to allow work on the road to begin.
Conversely, this is a temporal suspension that shall be resumed if nothing is done sooner.
Again, NDAF shall constitute project monitoring committee to make sure the contractor do not rest on their oasis and the philosophies of Nigeria's local content are upheld.
In the light of the foregoing, we wish to inform the general public that NDAF is a patriotic nonviolent umbrella body of distinguished and ebullient comrades and not a forum with similitude of insurgency.
Furthermore, in our characteristic manner, NDAF would not engage in any criminal act to impress on the government to react to our plight. NDAF shall continue to explore all legitimate and legal means to prick the conscience of the government of Nigeria to be fair to all citizens regardless of ethnic and tribal identities.
Finally, at this time, what is required of every reasonable person(s) and group (s) is to exercise restraint, watchful and allow the government to fulfill her promise.
We therefore commend the state security apparatuses for maintaining law and order throughout these days of struggle.
We sincerely appreciate motorists and commuters for their understanding and confidence reposed on us. This struggle is hereby called off.
Thanks and God bless you all.
Long live Itu/Odukpani dwellers!
Long live NDAF!
Long live Cross River State!
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Comr. Success Jack
(National President)
Comr. Bernard Okori Oko
(National Treasurer/Youth Leader)
Comr. Paul Ajie Abang
(CRS Chairman)
Comr. (Hon) Ogar Emmanuel OkO
(CRS PRO)
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