The House of Representatives recently declined to advance a motion urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse the decision to rename the Ministry of Niger Delta Development as the Ministry for Regional Development.
The motion, introduced by Oboku Oforji (PDP, Bayelsa), was set aside after the House concluded it had been “overtaken by events.”
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen informed members that, following his recent meeting with President Tinubu, there were indications that the President was open to receiving a South-South Development Commission Bill, specifically designed to address the needs of the Niger Delta region.
In light of this discussion, Speaker Tajudeen suggested stepping down the motion, explaining that recent developments had addressed many of the concerns raised.
House Leader Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) acknowledged the relevance of the issues presented but clarified that the rebranding of the Niger Delta Ministry as a broader Ministry of Regional Development would not reduce the attention to the Niger Delta region’s needs. Instead, the change aims to extend developmental efforts to other regions as well.
When initially moving the motion, Oforji reminded the House of the Ministry’s creation by former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on September 10, 2008.
According to Oforji, Yar’Adua envisioned the Ministry as a vehicle for promoting peace, unity, and development in the Niger Delta, coordinating initiatives among agencies, communities, donors, and stakeholders.
He emphasized that Yar’Adua’s intentions for the Ministry stemmed from a desire to address long-standing neglect in a region that generates a significant portion of the nation’s economic wealth but suffers from poverty and environmental degradation.
Oforji pointed to years of oil spillage, poor agricultural conditions, and inadequate infrastructure as factors that fueled unrest in the area.
He highlighted that Yar’Adua’s administration, though brief, fostered dialogue with Niger Delta stakeholders and militants, culminating in the Amnesty Program, which helped to secure relative peace in the region.
“It was in the short term of late President Yar’Adua ‘s leadership from Katsina State that dialogue was initiated with major stakeholders in the region and militants culminating in the Amnesty Progam that has brought relative peace to the oil rich Niger Delta Region.
“These were prelude to the creation of the ministry which was aimed at infrastructural development, environmental protection and empowerment of the youths in the oil rich Niger Delta Region.
“Are we there yet? The answer is no,but the people of the Niger Delta believe that the lofty dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of the region will be actualized someday, hence their embrace of the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development,” Oforji stated.
Expressing further concern, he added, “On the 24th of October 2024, the oil rich region witnessed palpable tension following the announcement of the scrapping of the ministry of Niger Delta Development, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is not a good omen for a region that has contributed immensely to the economy development of our their country and has enjoyed some relative peace.”
Oforji’s motion underscored the importance of honoring the Ministry’s founding purpose and urged reconsideration of the change, which many in the Niger Delta see as dismissive of their contributions and aspirations.
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