Daily Independent (Lagos)
Charles I. Soeze
31 October 2008
opinion
The Niger Delta Region is an area of more than 28000 square kilometers of mangrove swamps and meandering waterways, which stretches for over 300 miles from the Benin River in the West to the Cross River in the East. Discussions of the Niger Delta Region have tended to include the following states, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. These are South-South oil producing states in addition to Edo, Abia, Imo and Ondo States.
It is crystal clear that the Niger Delta Region is one of the world's largest wetlands. It covers a large area of Nigeria and depending on the political, ecological, or hydrological definition of what constitutes the Delta. It now includes significant portion of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Imo and Abia States. According to the World Bank's report, Rivers and Bayelsa States covers two thirds that is, 62.3% of the Niger Delta State occupies another 15 - 20% of the Region.
The many years neglect of the Niger Delta Region tagged "the goose that lays the golden eggs" without being cared for is the main cause of youths restiveness and aggressiveness within the region. However, it is abundantly clear that the military laid the foundation for the neglect immediately the first republic collapsed in 1966 (as a result of a bloody military coup led by Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu) and continued with the use of arms until the coming of civil rule on May 29, 1999.
Over the years, the Niger Delta people have been restive and called for an interventionist agency to stem the tide of series of agitation. The fierce agitation was once resisted by the military, which even led to events that took the life of a foremost Nigerian environmentalist, civil rights activist and playwright, Ken Saro Wiwa who was judicially murdered in November 1995 by the Abacha's military junta. This led immediately to Nigeria's suspension from the commonwealth. Also, the series of agitation from the Niger-Delta youths have led to political crises that cast the government in bad light. Even oil producing companies have lost substantial man-hours as a result of militant youth action, which has led to the destruction of some communities.
The late Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige once said and I quote, "All Nigerians are thieves, stealing the property of the Niger Delta. Nigerians have stolen the treasure of the Niger Delta and if care is not taken, we will face the wrath of God because it is a sin to continue to plunder the resources of the people". The injustice might have necessitated the Kiaima Declaration by the Ijaw youths on December 11, 1998 to make the country ungovernable just like theyouths of South Africa did during the apartheid policy.
With the current democratic structure led by Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua, there is hope for the quick development of the Region. This is because as President-elect, he promised on April 26, 2007 on a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) interview to "fix the Niger Delta Region with 100 days in office". Approximately sixteen months into his administration, that region's problems remain intractable while militants' wanton violence seems not abating.
As part of efforts to bring peace and development in the region, the President on September 10, 2008 announced some structural modifications to the earlier intent to convey a summit on the Niger Delta, including the creation of the Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs. Two days before then, the President had constituted a 45-man Niger-Delta Technical Committee, led by Ledom Mitee to work out the way forward for the region. Unlike the Committee, the new ministry marked the first concrete step aimed at making the Niger Delta Region feel the impact of government at the centre. I think and believe that the Ministry was created by the Yar'Adua's led federal government to coordinate efforts and tackle challenges of infrastructural development, environmental protection and youth empowerment in the region. This has really drawn widespread applause across the country.
However, instead of allowing President Yar'Adua to continue in solving the problem of the Niger Delta through the alleged "Go Slow System (GSS)" of his administration, some people especially in the region see the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs as a political board that can be run politically so that at the end it will fail like the Niger Delta Development Basin Authorities (NDDBA) among others which eventually failed in their primary objectives of lacking environmental degradation and deteriorated economic conditions caused by oil and gas exploration and exploration in the Niger Delta Area.
It beat my imagination when some of us who are either seeking for individual and cheap popularity or through groups suggest where the headquarters of the ministry will be located, and who will be the Minister or where the Minister will come from. We must not be selfish or exhibit tribal sentiment but allow Mr. President and his team to come up with all the packages for the development of the region. We should bear in mind that oil was discovered in commercial quantity at Oloibiri in the present Bayelsa state in 1956 and two years after (1958) it was also discovered in Ubulu-Uku, in the present Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State. However, Shell British Petroleum now Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) could not progress further in Ubulu-Uku as a result of alleged native palaver that has nothing to do with youths restiveness and aggressiveness. Though the town now faces neglect erosion menace and was eventually abandoned by the SPDC and the government. Although known for farming, the vast land can no longer be used for their subsistence and commercial farming.
In trying to locate the headquarters of the Ministry and its branch offices including parastatal/s such areas as mentioned above where oil was discovered should be considered first as we say "old soldier never die".
Again, what the federal government should take into consideration is that the Niger Delta Ministry should be seen as a professionalized one with technocrats engaged. In this connection, not just transferring workers who claim to be pool staff and dump them in the ministry. This is because many of them have never met serious challenging jobs since they were engaged after graduation. Some of them are busy writing traditional and regular letters and putting in oblivion their skills and professionalism. The Ministry for the Niger Delta Affairs should be seen as a "Ministry For Action" no to bureaucracy, redtapism and lousiness. Parastatals under the Ministry must not be seen as a dumping ground for defeated politicians and crooks. We also need technocrats to be at the helm of affairs at these parastatals under the ministry for quick development in all parts of the region so that the Niger Delta Area should be seen as a tourist centre.
In appointing a Minister for the proposed Ministry, we need a patriotic, workaholic, transparent, dedicated, able, agile and technocrat administrator to be at the helm of affairs. With the proposed Niger Delta Ministry, Yar'Adua's administration has certainly displayed wisdom, maturity, tactics, and concern for the welfare and development of the impoverished people of the Niger Delta Area. *Soeze is Chief Officer (Public Affairs), Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta State
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Daily Independent. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
