Victor Efeizomor
13 September 2008
Asaba — Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said the creation of the Niger-Delta Ministry by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua will go a long way in tackling the crisis and challenges of the region.
Uduaghan, in a press statement, titled Creation of Ministry of Niger Delta", said: "I wish to congratulate Yar'Adua for his bold initiative in setting up the Ministry of Niger-Delta to tackle the challenges of the region which have festered and which have become sources of national instability".
"The step by the President demonstrates his seriousness to tackle these challenges in a meaningful and coordinated manner and I would urge our people to support it. As a first step, it is extremely positive, although I wish to note there are larger issues in the region that would require constitutional amendment, but the President has shown leadership by the action he has taken".
Uduaghan stated that the benefit of having this ministry is such that issues of policy and programmes for the region can now be discussed at the highest policy making level of the federal government and close attention paid to it, adding that " I do believe that if this ministry existed before now, a strategic road like the N150 billion East -West road for instance, would have received proper funding that would have, in all likelihood, scaled up its budgetary provisions far above the present ridiculous figure in the 2008 budget provision".
Udughan emphasised that with the ministry in place, "the multi-national oil companies operating in the region are challenged to contribute their own quota in infrastructural development and in creating job opportunities for the youths, because that is one major way the youth restiveness can be curbed.
He said " in Delta, our policy of funding by allocating 50%of the 13% derivation to the state intervention agency in the riverine oil bearing communities through the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), has yielded a lot of results, which shows that with commitment and resolve, the challenges before the region can be taken care of".
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