The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Niger Delta Ministry, labelling it “unacceptable.”
The council urged the president to reconsider his decision, citing the region’s unique development needs and challenges.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, IYC Secretary-General Maobuye Nangi Obu emphasised that instead of dismantling existing structures aimed at developing the region, the Niger Delta deserves special treatment, with more programmes, projects, ministries, and interventionist agencies.
The appeal comes after President Tinubu replaced the Niger Delta Ministry with the Ministry of Regional Development, which will oversee various regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
By speaking out against the decision, the IYC seeks to protect the interests of the Niger Delta region and ensure its continued development.
Obu said even if the ministry’s functions were found to be overlapping with other existing agencies, the Federal Government should have reformed and refocused the ministry to tackle specific challenges in the region instead of scrapping it.
He said, “There is no justification whatsoever to scrap any existing structure designed for Niger Delta development. If any interventionist structure is found wanting, we expect the federal government to reform and refocus it to tackle specific needs of our region.
“Our region has always been in a disadvantaged position, being the area with the most difficult terrain that has been consistently vandalised and messed up through oil exploitation and exploration to provide resources and revenue used to develop other regions.
Obu said the IYC also observed a worrying trend of desperation to either strip the Niger Delta of its special status or bring other regions, which has no special needs at par with the region.
For instance, he said it was disturbing why all of a sudden the National Assembly and the Presidency had created development agencies in the mode of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for other regions.
He, however, commended the Senate and some senators from the Niger Delta, like former Governor of Bayelsa State and Senator Seriake Dickson for pushing for the creation of the South-South Development Commission distinct from the NDDC.
“We understand that the South-South Development Commission Bill has been passed by the Senate and we are expecting President Tinubu to swiftly sign it into law to close the looming developmental gap and marginalisation occasioned by the creation of similar commissions in other regions,” he said.IYC rejects scrapping of Niger Delta Ministry
Obinna Nwaoku, Port Harcourt
The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has strongly condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Niger Delta Ministry, labelling it “unacceptable.”
The council urged the president to reconsider his decision, citing the region’s unique development needs and challenges.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, IYC Secretary-General Maobuye Nangi Obu emphasised that instead of dismantling existing structures aimed at developing the region, the Niger Delta deserves special treatment, with more programmes, projects, ministries, and interventionist agencies.
The appeal comes after President Tinubu replaced the Niger Delta Ministry with the Ministry of Regional Development, which will oversee various regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
By speaking out against the decision, the IYC seeks to protect the interests of the Niger Delta region and ensure its continued development.
Obu said even if the ministry’s functions were found to be overlapping with other existing agencies, the Federal Government should have reformed and refocused the ministry to tackle specific challenges in the region instead of scrapping it.
He said, “There is no justification whatsoever to scrap any existing structure designed for Niger Delta development. If any interventionist structure is found wanting, we expect the federal government to reform and refocus it to tackle specific needs of our region.
“Our region has always been in a disadvantaged position, being the area with the most difficult terrain that has been consistently vandalised and messed up through oil exploitation and exploration to provide resources and revenue used to develop other regions.
Obu said the IYC also observed a worrying trend of desperation to either strip the Niger Delta of its special status or bring other regions, which has no special needs at par with the region.
For instance, he said it was disturbing why all of a sudden the National Assembly and the Presidency had created development agencies in the mode of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for other regions.
He, however, commended the Senate and some senators from the Niger Delta, like former Governor of Bayelsa State and Senator Seriake Dickson for pushing for the creation of the South-South Development Commission distinct from the NDDC.
“We understand that the South-South Development Commission Bill has been passed by the Senate and we are expecting President Tinubu to swiftly sign it into law to close the looming developmental gap and marginalisation occasioned by the creation of similar commissions in other regions,” he said.
