By Aaron Ossai
As controversy continues to trail the scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry and the creation of Ministry of Regional Development, the House of Representatives yesterday stood down a motion asking Tinubu to rescind the decision.
The motion sponsored by Hon. Oboku Oforji was stepped down by the House because “it has been overtaken by events”.
The Speaker, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen told the House that he met with President Tinubu last week and hit assurance that he was favorably disposed to receiving the South-South Development Commission Bill to cater for specific issues of the Niger Delta region.
He therefore told the Lawmaker that In light of the information, and due to the fact that the issues within the Motion have already been over taken by other events, he should allow the House to step down the motion.
Also, House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) said even though the issues contained in the motion were germane, the conversion of the Niger Delta Development Ministry to that of Ministry of Regional Development will not in any way deny the Niger Delta region of its due development, nor reduce its impact in the region, but only to broaden its scope to development of other regions.
Earlier while moving the motion, Oforji recalled that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development as created on September 10 2008 by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who appointed Ufot Ekaette as the first Minister.
According to him, the ministry was created to promote and coordinate policies for the development, peace,unity and security of the Niger Delta Region and is expected to formulate and execute plans, programmes and other initiatives as well as coordinate the activities of agencies,communities,donors and other relevant stakeholders involved in the development of the Niger Delta Region.
He said late President Yar’Adua had good intention and foresight for creating the ministry as a way to ameliorate the suffering,agitations and neglect of the Region for decades by successive governments.A Region that produces the economic wealth of the country and yet poor and poorly governed.
He stressed that, years of oil spillage, lack of arable land and social amenities etc.had necessitated the emergence of militancy in the oil rich region.
He said “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 Progam that has brought relative peace to the oil rich Niger Delta Region.
“These were prelude to the creation of the ministry which was aimed at infrastructural development, environmental protection and empowerment of the youths in the oil rich Niger Delta Region.
“Are we there yet? The answer is no,but the people of the Niger Delta believe that the lofty dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the region will be actualized someday, hence their embrace of the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development”.
He expressed concern that “on the 24th of October 2024,the oil rich region witnessed palpable tension following the announcement of the scrapping of the ministry of Niger Delta Development, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is not a good omen for a region that has contributed immensely to the economy development of our their country and has enjoyed some relative peace”, he added.