Former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has criticized Bola Tinubu for scrapping the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, saying that the people of the region will not allow it.
Recall that Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council on Tuesday announced the scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.
In a tweet by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, the decision was reached during the FEC meeting.
Reacting to the scrapping of the Niger Delta Affairs yesterday in Abuja, the Elder statesman who noted that there was no basis for the scrapping of the Ministry, accused the Federal government of plans to use the money from the South-South geo-political zones to develop the various development Commissions from the geo-political zones that have been established.
The Leader of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF said,”What I have noted so far is that there is 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 to focus on the development of that area. We have been working for some time now, managing our commissions.
“It is not about that; it is the administrative structure created by the President. 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.
“What I am saying is that the federal government lacks special arrangements for this region. When I saw that every region was establishing its development centres or Commissions, I anticipated these issues would arise.
“Are there going to be multiple ministries within one region?
“There was also an agreement that 5% of the federation account would be allocated annually to support regions affected by the conflict. Unfortunately, this has not been implemented.
“We also agreed that 5% of the revenue account should be dedicated to developing mineral resources and other industries to enhance local capacity. I was pleased with these discussions, but they haven’t translated into action, which is disturbing.
“The government needs to consult with the leaders of the Niger Delta and the South-South region. What we are saying is that these unresolved issues cannot be overlooked by the government.”
Clark further added, “The government must explain why they decided to halt critical legislation. This raises concerns about how the benefits of regional developments are being managed. Many people feel disconnected from the process, and it seems resources are being diverted from local needs.
“We need to ensure that regional development isn’t scrapped without a clear plan for its replacement. We will not allow it to be scrapped, the government wants to use South South money to develop other Development Commissions.”
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