Former militant leader, Asari Dokubo has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of betraying the people of the Niger Delta following its decision to restructure the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs into the newly created Ministry of Regional Development.
Speaking on Tuesday in an interview on Arise TV, Dokubo expressed frustration over what he described as a setback for the region, claiming the move undermines the interests of the Niger Delta.
Dokubo criticized the Tinubu administration’s approach, asserting that the reorganization effectively marginalizes the region’s unique developmental needs.
He said, “It’s sad that this decision is taken in a government led by Tinubu, who was in the trenches with most of us during the struggle for the restoration of democracy after the overthrow of the government following the June 12 election of MKO Abiola.
“Together we fought tirelessly, and since then, Tinubu, who was at the forefront of this struggle, has been speaking on restructuring and returning Nigeria to its federal status and giving rights to the components of the country.
“Now, to this decision: this decision is a betrayal of the people of the Niger Delta. This culture of trying to subchange the people of the Niger Delta is robbing us of our gains.
“This decision is a betrayal of the people of the Niger Delta. Before independence, the Ijaws and Ogonis made it very clear that for us to be part of Nigeria, negotiations must be on our own terms. We made it very clear to the British, and they set up a commission to look into the fears of the so-called minorities and allay their fears.
“The government agreed that for us to be part of an independent Nigeria, Sir Wilkins’ commission established special areas for the Ijaw and Ogoni people, and these special areas were established. The government was to provide five percent; the Eastern Region was to provide five percent; and the Northern Region was to provide five percent because this was a special area.
“After the coup and declaration of Nigeria as a unitary state, Nigeria looked at our face and abolished a constitutionally established authority. In its place, every drainage outside the Niger Delta was made a River Basin authority, and they equated these same authorities with the Niger Delta area authority, a special mandate area for Nigeria to become independent.
“The independence of Nigeria was predicated on that report that we, the Ogonis and Ijaws, should be part of Nigeria. Having done that, Obasanjo came in 1999 and redefined what the Niger Delta is; it became OMPADEC, an oil-producing area. So Abia, Imo, Edo, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River became part of the Niger Delta. He diluted the meaning of the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta is created by the River Niger and its tributaries, which is simple.”
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