Niger Delta Leaders In Uproar As FG Abolishes Ministry ‘We Won’t Stand For This’

Niger Delta Leaders In Uproar As FG Abolishes Ministry ‘We Won’t Stand For This’

By Henry Umoru, Jimitota Onoyume, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Samuel Oyadongha, Egufe Yafugborhi, Dan Abia, Ozioruva Aliu, Chioma Onuegbu & Akpokona Omafuaire

The decision to rename the Niger Delta Ministry has sparked diverse opinions, with many Niger Delta leaders and activists expressing strong opposition, while the Federal Government insists the ministry was rebranded, not abolished.

Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, rejected the renaming, demanding that President Bola Tinubu explain the decision to the Niger Delta people. He accused the government of planning to divert the region’s resources to fund other development commissions across the country.

Following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, clarified that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was renamed as the Ministry of Regional Development. He emphasized that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) remains operational.

Minister Abubakar Momoh, who now heads the Ministry of Regional Development, stated that the renaming reflects the government’s intention to broaden its mandate, supervising not only the NDDC but other regional development agencies as well. He urged Niger Delta residents not to see the change as a reduction in their interests, as all existing structures and commitments for the region remain intact.

However, Chief Clark, along with other Niger Delta stakeholders, continued to oppose the move. Clark expressed concern that the change disregarded the unique needs of the Niger Delta and accused the government of planning to use the region’s resources for other areas. He recalled that the ministry was originally established by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to address security and developmental challenges in the Niger Delta.

Former Ijaw Youth Council President, Barr. Eric Omare, and other activists like Barr. Kennedy Ota also criticized the decision, stating that merging the ministry with others undermines the region’s specific development needs. They stressed that the terrain and issues of the Niger Delta are distinct, and the ministry’s renaming diminishes the focus on these challenges.

While some support the government’s action, like Elder Joseph Ambakederimo of the South-South Reawakening Group, others, including the Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC), warned that the move could exacerbate corruption and mismanagement of funds meant for regional development.