Reps reject calls to restore Niger Delta ministry

The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a motion that sought to restore the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Development.

The motion, which was sponsored by Rep. Oboku Oforji (PDP-Bayelsa), was dropped following Speaker Tajudeen Abbas’ announcement that the President was willing to sign the South-South Development Commission Bill.

Abbas told the House that he got the President’s assurances over the bill in a meeting, saying that the motion had been overtaken by events.

The Majority Leader of the House, Rep. Julius Ihonvbere (APC-Edo) said that the issues contained in the motion were germane.

He, however, said that 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.

According to him, it will reduce its impact in the region, but it had only broadened its scope to develop other regions.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu had on Oct. 24, scraped the ministry and replaced it with the Ministry of Regional Development.

The change expanded the mandate of the new ministry to encompass developmental activities in all the six geo-political zones in the country.

Earlier, Oforji recalled that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was created on Sept. 10, 2008 by late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who appointed Ufot Ekaette as the first minister.

He explained that the ministry was created to promote and coordinate policies for the development, peace,unity and security of the Niger Delta region.

Oforji also said that the ministry was to ameliorate the suffering, agitations and neglect of the oil rich region for decades by successive governments.

He said that the years of oil spillage, lack of arable land and social amenities in the region had necessitated the emergence of militancy in the region.

“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 Programme that has brought relative peace to the 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 region.

“The people of Niger Delta believe that the lofty dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the region will be actualised someday, hence their embrace of the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development,” he said

Oforji said that the oil rich region witnessed palpable tension following the announcement of the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development.

The House, however, resolved to step down the bill and to expedite actions on the bill on South-South Development Commission, which currently exists in other geo-political zones and controlled by the new Ministry of Regional Development.

NAN