Elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has expressed strong opposition to the Federal Executive Council’s decision to dissolve the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
Speaking in a phone interview on Wednesday, Clark described the move as unjustified and harmful to the region’s development efforts.
Earlier, President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council announced the dissolution of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, merging its functions with the newly established Ministry of Regional Development.
Clark expressed surprise at the decision, stressing that the ministry was created by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to address security challenges and foster development in the region.
“What I’ve noted so far is that there’s no basis for scrapping it. Yar’Adua had a clear purpose to address the security situation in the Niger Delta, which led to the creation of the ministry focused on developing that area. We have been working for some time now, managing our commission,” he stated.
He argued that the ministry was essential for meeting the unique needs of the Niger Delta, not just for administrative purposes.
Clark also criticized the slow progress of major infrastructure projects, particularly the East-West Road, which had been transferred to the Ministry of Works without meaningful development under the Niger Delta Ministry’s oversight.
“Why would you take over a ministry without any development plans, funding, or concrete actions? Even the East-West Road, which was meant to be under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, is not being addressed; it has been handed back to the Ministry of Works,” he lamented.
Clark warned that without targeted efforts, the federal government risked neglecting the development of the Niger Delta region. He further recalled discussions during the 2014 National Conference that proposed increasing revenue allocation to oil-producing regions from 13% to 18%, with additional allocations for conflict-affected areas.
“I remember during the national conference in 2014, it was decided to increase the revenue allocation to the regions from 13% to 25%. Ultimately, it was settled at 18%, but we disagreed, which led to further discussions about a separate fund to support development post-Boko Haram,” he said.
The elder statesman concluded by cautioning that the ministry’s dissolution could spark unrest, saying, “We will not allow it to be scrapped. The government cannot use South-South resources to develop other regions while neglecting the Niger Delta.”
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