The House of Representatives has put on hold a motion calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse his decision to rename the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development.
Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa) supported the motion, which was withdrawn due to being “overtaken by events”.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen stated that President Tinubu told him of his willingness to receive the South-South Development Commission Bill, which addresses specific Niger Delta area challenges.
This change, he claimed, made the motion superfluous because the bill’s adoption would meet the region’s needs.
Oforji, who moved the motion, stated that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was founded on September 10, 2008, by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to promote development, peace, unity, and security in the Niger Delta Region.
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Oforji voiced concern about the region’s suffering, unrest, and neglect, citing years of oil leakage, a lack of arable land, and social services. He stated that late President Yar’Adua had noble intentions in establishing the ministry to solve these challenges.
He stated, “In the short tenure of late President Yar’Adua’s leadership from Katsina State, negotiation was launched with important players in the region and militants, culminating in the Amnesty Program, which has restored relative peace to the oil-rich Niger Delta Region.
“These served as a forerunner to the establishment of the ministry, which was tasked with infrastructure development, environmental protection, and youth empowerment in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
“Are we there yet?” The answer is negative, but the people of the Niger Delta believe that the lofty hopes and aspirations of the region’s founding fathers will be realized someday, which is why they support the establishment of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development.”
He voiced concern. “On October 24, 2024, the oil-rich region experienced palpable tension when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the dissolution of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
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“This is not a good omen for a region that has contributed immensely to the economic development of our country and has enjoyed some relative peace” .
However, House Leader Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) emphasized that renaming the ministry will not deny the Niger Delta area proper development, but rather widen its scope to include other regions.
