A coalition of youth and community stakeholders in Ondo State have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, demanding the immediate removal of Mr. Otito Atikase-Ehinmore, the state representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), over allegations of misconduct and abuse of office.
The group, under the banner of the Coalition of Oil Producing Youths of Ondo State (COPYOS), issued a two-week ultimatum to the presidency, threatening widespread protests across the state and at NDDC offices should their demand be ignored.
In a petition signed by 47 members, including COPYOS President Samuel Ikumapayi and Secretary Oluwole Fagbin, the group accused Atikase-Ehinmore of rendering Ondo’s NDDC representation ineffective and inaccessible since his appointment.
“Mr. Atikase-Ehinmore has turned the state’s seat on the NDDC board into a ghost position.
”He has failed to engage with youth groups, traditional rulers, and community stakeholders,” the petition stated.
Among the most serious allegations is that Atikase-Ehinmore allegedly allocated all four NDDC employment slots meant for oil-producing communities to members of his immediate family.
The named beneficiaries include Mr Dare Ehinmore, Miss Dayo Ehinmore, Mr Babatunde Ehinmore, and Mrs Taye Stella Olayemi.
The group also accused the board member of diverting funds allocated for the 2023 and 2024 youth empowerment programmes and misappropriating relief materials intended for communities affected by environmental degradation.
“These acts represent a betrayal of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a cruel exploitation of the suffering of Niger Delta communities,” the coalition added.
They also called for the appointment of a credible, people-oriented replacement who would align with the development goals of the current administration and represent the state with transparency and accountability.
In a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Atikase-Ehinmore declined to address the allegations directly.
“Let them go and meet Mr President to remove me. That’s my reaction to the allegations,” he said.
COPYOS stated it remained committed to peaceful action but warned of statewide demonstrations if the Federal Government fails to act within the given timeframe.
