By ADEREMI BAMGBOSE

The Coalition of Oil Producing Youths of Ondo State (COPYOS) has urged President Bola Tinubu to sack Mr Otito Atikase-Ehinmore, the state representative on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) board, over alleged abuse of office.

COPYOS made the demand in a petition addressed to Tinubu and signed by 47 members including Samuel Ikumapayi and Oluwole Fagbin, the President and Secretary respectively.

The petition was made available to journalists on Saturday in Okitipupa.

The group gave Tinubu two weeks to remove Atikase-Ehinmore, threatened massive protests at the state level and NDDC offices if the President refused to sack him.

The coalition comprising youths, women, community leaders and other stakeholders, expressed disappointment over Atikase-Ehinmore’s alleged gross misconduct.

According to the group, since assuming office, Atikase-Ehinmore has being inaccessible and unaccountable to youth groups, community stakeholders and traditional rulers in the mandate areas.

“Atikase-Ehinmore has turned the state’s seat to a “ghost position,” by depriving the state of visibility and developmental benefits from NDDC,” the coalition stated.

The group also accused Atikase-Ehinmore of allocating the only four NDDC employment slots meant for the oil producing communities to his immediate family members.

According to the group, the benefiting family members are Mr Dare Ehinmore, Miss Dayo Ehinmore, Mr Babatumde Ehinmore and Mrs Taye Stella Olayemi.

The coalition also alleged that the NDDC board member diverted money allocated for the 2023 and 2024 NDDC Youth Empowerment Programmes.

“Atikase-Ehinmore also diverted relief materials sent to the oil-producing communities by the NDDC to assist victims of environmental degradation.

“These acts represent a betrayal of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Tinubu’s administration and a cruel exploitation of the people’s pain.

“The NDDC was established to restore hope and drive development in the Niger Delta, not to serve as a personal treasury for selfish appointees.

“We, therefore, demand his immediate removal and the appointment of a credible and people-oriented representative who will align with the President’s development vision for the Niger Delta region.

“We warn that if no action within two weeks, we will be left with no choice but to embark on a peaceful but massive protests and demonstrations across the state and NDDC offices until justice is done,” the coalition stated.

Reacting in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Atikase-Ehinmore neither confirm nor deny the allegations levelled against him by COPYOS.

“Let them go and meet Mr President to remove me. That’s my reaction to the allegations,” he retorted. (NAN)