Reps allay fears of abandonment of Niger Delta development 

The House of Representatives has addressed concerns that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration may abandon efforts to develop the oil-rich Niger Delta region.

This assurance came from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abass, while stepping down a motion on Wednesday sponsored by Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa). The motion urged President Tinubu to reconsider the decision to change the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry for Regional Development.

Speaker Tajudeen informed the House that he met with President Tinubu last week, who assured him that he was receptive to receiving the South-South Development Commission Bill, aimed at addressing specific issues in the Niger Delta region. Consequently, the Speaker advised that, given this information and the fact that other events have since addressed the concerns raised, the motion should be stepped down.

House Leader Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) also commented, saying that while the issues in the motion were significant, converting the Ministry of Niger Delta Development into the Ministry of Regional Development would not diminish the region’s development prospects. Instead, it would broaden the scope to support the development of other regions.

In his initial motion, Oforji recounted that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was created on September 10, 2008, by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who appointed Ufot Ekaette as the first minister.

He explained that the ministry’s purpose was to promote policies for the development, peace, unity, and security of the Niger Delta region, and to formulate and implement plans and programs in coordination with agencies, communities, donors, and stakeholders involved in the region’s development.

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Oforji noted that late President Yar’Adua established the ministry to address decades of suffering, agitation, and neglect in a region responsible for the nation’s economic wealth but plagued by poor governance. He pointed out that years of oil spillage, lack of arable land, and inadequate social amenities had fueled militancy in the Niger Delta.

“It was in the short term of late President Yar’Adua’s leadership from Katsina State that dialogue was initiated with major stakeholders in the region and militants, culminating in the Amnesty Program that has brought relative peace to the oil-rich Niger Delta region,” Oforji stated. “This was a precursor to the creation of the ministry, which aimed at infrastructural development, environmental protection, and youth empowerment.”

He also said that although the region’s development is ongoing, the people of the Niger Delta hope the founding vision will be fully realised one day. However, he expressed concern that the oil-rich region was tense following President Tinubu’s October 24, 2024, announcement of the ministry’s dissolution.

“This is not a good omen for a region that has contributed immensely to the economic development of our country and has enjoyed relative peace,” Oforji warned.