October 24, 2024
Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s scraping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, stating that it is against the wishes of the people of the region
Chief Clark, on Wednesday, expressed outrage at what he called an unjust decision that could undermine the region’s development and security.
President Tinubu had on Wednesday, during the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting announced the dissolution of the Niger Delta Ministry and the Ministry of Sports Development.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who confirmed the development in a tweet, stated that the decision had been agreed upon by the FEC.
Reacting to the president’s decision, Chief Clark said that there was no justification for scrapping the ministry, which was created to address the unique challenges of the oil-rich region.
Accusing the federal government of intentions to divert resources from the South-South geopolitical zone to fund development commissions in other parts of the country, Chief Clark, maintained that the decision did not take into consideration the perculiar needs of the Niger Delta and threatens to neglect development of the region.
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The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was establishment by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration’s idea to foster peace and development in the region, which was been plagued by unrest, poverty, pipeline vandalism and under development.
He emphasized that Yar’Adua’s creation of the ministry was a crucial step in addressing the long-standing issues of underdevelopment and insecurity in the area, and that its dissolution could portend danger.
According to the foremost Ijaw leader, “What I have noted so far is that there is no basis for scrapping the ministry. 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.”
President Tinubu, had at Wednesday’s FEC meeting, scraped the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and replaced it with Ministry of Regional Development.
