The Coalition of Oil Producing Youths of Ondo State,COPYOS, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately remove Mr. Otito Atikase-Ehinmore, the Ondo State representative on the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC,board, over alleged abuse of office, corruption, and negligence.
In a strongly worded petition addressed to the President and made available to journalists on Saturday in Okitipupa, the group accused Atikase-Ehinmore of betraying the confidence of the people he was appointed to represent. The petition, signed by 47 members, including COPYOS President Samuel Ikumapayi and Secretary Oluwole Fagbin, gave Tinubu two weeks to act or face mass protests across the state and at NDDC offices.
According to COPYOS, since assuming office, Atikase-Ehinmore has remained inaccessible and unaccountable to youth groups, community stakeholders, and traditional rulers in the oil-producing areas. The group alleged that his tenure has brought no tangible benefits or visibility to Ondo State within the NDDC structure.
“Mr. Atikase-Ehinmore has turned Ondo’s NDDC representation into a ghost office. His conduct has deprived our communities of vital development projects and empowerment opportunities,” the petition read.
The coalition also alleged that the board member allocated the only four NDDC employment slots designated for oil-producing communities to his immediate family members identified as Mr. Dare Ehinmore, Miss Dayo Ehinmore, Mr. Babatunde Ehinmore, and Mrs. Taye Stella Olayemi.
In addition, COPYOS accused Atikase-Ehinmore of diverting funds meant for the 2023 and 2024 NDDC Youth Empowerment Programmes, as well as relief materials intended for victims of environmental degradation in Ondo’s oil-producing communities.
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“These acts are a betrayal of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a cruel exploitation of the people’s suffering,” the group stated. “The NDDC was created to drive development in the Niger Delta, not to serve as a personal treasury for political appointees.”
The coalition demanded Atikase-Ehinmore’s immediate removal and replacement with a credible, people-oriented representative who would align with the President’s vision for sustainable development in the Niger Delta.
“If the government fails to act within two weeks, we will embark on peaceful but massive protests across Ondo State and NDDC offices nationwide until justice is served,” the statement concluded.
When contacted for his reaction, Atikase-Ehinmore neither confirmed nor denied the allegations. In a brief response to the News Agency of Nigeria he said,
“Let them go and meet Mr. President to remove me. That’s my reaction to the allegations.”
