Former President Goodluck Jonathan has blamed Nigerian politicians for the slow impact and progress of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on the people of the region.

Jonathan, who spoke amidst cheers at the ongoing Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Friday, noted that the NDDC, as an interventionist agency, was birthed to bring development closer to the people, stating that NDDC was moving in a clearer leadership direction under Timi Alaibe, the then Managing Director of the commission.

But he regretted that the progress and activities of the commission slowed down immediately after politicians got involved and took over the NDDC.

Jonathan said that with the current leadership under Samuel Ogbuku as the managing director, the people in Niger Delta are beginning to see some light again.

The former president, however, pleaded with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to urge other politicians to allow NDDC to deliver its mandate without interference.

“Politicians should not overstress NDDC to the detriment of the people,” said Jonathan.

“Akpabio is here, and he is the most senior politician in this summit, so I urge him to work with other politicians to ensure that the NDDC is not subjected to so much stress by politicians.”

He further urged the management of the commission to tackle issues of abandoned projects, invest in agriculture, and also work towards building a future that will function without relying on hydrocarbons.

Speaking also on behalf of former Governors from the South-South zone, Donald Duke urged the NDDC management not to yield to pressures by politicians but to focus on activities and programmes that will uplift the lives of the people.

On his part, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, called on President Bola Tinubu to fast-track works on the East-West road or allow the governors from the region to fix it – Diri tells.