PART from rehabilitation and re-integration of repentant militants, the implementation of a wide range of projects in the Niger Delta region is a critical component of the post-amnesty package of the Federal Government which must not be toyed with.

Already, the rehabilitation process is going on at some centres across the region with varying degrees of success while the erstwhile leaders of the militant groups now constantly interact with the President, ministers, governors and other top functionaries of government.

These are confidence building steps which are important for the success of the entire programme. However, the much sought lasting peace in the region would be difficult to achieve if at the end of the rehabilitation and re-integration, the region remains grossly underdeveloped.

Presently, friends and foes of the oil rich region agree that the area is close to being a huge wasteland, left desolate by oil production activities and neglect by successive governments of the country.

A major demand of the militants during their days in the creeks was the rapid transformation of the region and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as President, set up the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as a rapid intervention agency to actualize this vision.

The commission has impressed many with what it has achieved so far. But the reported withholding of its statutory funds by government and the oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta region must have slowed down the pace of the development of the area.

As part of the post-amnesty package, however, the President Umaru Yar'Adua-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved N179.13 billion for the execution of 44 projects by the NDDC in the nine states it covers.

The projects cover construction of bridges, roads, drainages, hospitals and the acquisition of hospital equipment. Other priority areas are provision of potable water, educational facilities and environmental impact assessment programmes.

These are important projects but even the President must have realized that the money set aside for them will not make the necessary impact, especially against the backdrop of the tough terrain of the region, hence he has sent in a supplementary appropriation bill of N352.85 billion, a part of which would go towards implementing more projects in the Niger Delta.

Among the ambitious projects that the government has lined up are the East-West highway; the East-West coastal road; the East-West rail line; Inland water ways transportation; reclamation to link all oil producing communities and environmental clean-up activities.

Again, these are mega projects that would require the infusion of huge sums of money for any noticeable impact to be felt. Many stakeholders insist that what the Niger Delta region requires is a marshal plan type of total development that would leave the entire region transformed in record time.

Some insist that this is the role the NDDC was set up to play, pointing to the fact that not long ago, the NDDC put together a Niger Delta Regional Development Master plan, as an integrated and comprehensive approach to the development of the region.

It is clear that the NDDC cannot be the only vehicle for the long desired rapid development of the region, especially now that the Niger Delta Ministry has been created and the states, local governments and other agencies of the Federal Government would, expectedly, be fully involved in the transformation process at different levels.

What is very critical now is that all the agencies that would play parts in the development process must be fully funded and well monitored so that in record time, the effects of the funds committed to the projects would begin to be felt.

Already, the ex-militants seem to be getting tired of too many meetings and very little action. Some of them may not understand that roads, bridges, houses and hospitals do not sprout over-night and certainly would not appreciate being told that projects meant for their areas are in the pipeline.

Speed is of the essence if the ex-militants are to be convinced of government's sincerity concerning the transformation of their environment.

This means that the National Assembly must play its role of empowering the President by quickly passing the supplementary budget that is before them and should follow this up with a close monitoring of the process of implementation of the projects to ensure that corrupt officials do not divert the funds to their private pockets.

The people of the Niger Delta also have a major part to play in this process. They must own the projects, that way, as government spells out the details of the location, the contractor and the date of completion of the projects, the people should begin to ask questions and generally monitor the projects, to ensure that they are delivered on their due dates.

The country cannot afford to fail this time around, because the consequences might be too grave to contemplate. The target 6,000 megawatts of power, for instance, may afterall be attained, only because a semblance of peace presently pervades the region. Also Nigeria is now said to be producing more barrels of crude oil for export than in the recent past because the then militants embraced the amnesty programme, dropped their weapons and emerged from the creeks.

Nothing should cause a reversal of the gains that have been recorded. Development of the country in general is desirable and should be vigorously pursued. Development of the Niger Delta region is even more so, given that the region is the goose that lays the golden eggs.