By Emma Okereh
As stakeholders from the Niger Delta region continue to oppose the recent scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry by President Bola Tinubu, a stakeholder and son of the region, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo has urged the president to restore the ministry as scrapping it will retard the development and harmony of the region.
Recall that the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was created following agitations and violent protest by militant groups who demanded that the zone be given full recognition in line with its contributions to the wealth of the country
But in his recent cabinet reshuffle, president Tinubu announced the scrapping of the ministry, replacing it with the ministry of Regional Development.
But the decision has continued to receive condemnations and criticisms from stakeholders from the zone
Joining in rejecting the president’s decision, a South South stakeholder, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo urged the president to return the scrapped ministry in the interest of peace in both the region and the entire country.
Ambassador Dagogo, who called on the president to recast his mind to the incidents that gave birth to the establishment of both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and subsequently, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs warned that the decision to scrap the ministry could be counter productive as it could instigate the return of already rested violent agitations to the zone.
The former Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC), States Assembly Forum (ASAF), who noted the numerous contributions of the South south zone to the wealth of the nation, said the scrapping of the ministry was an indication that the federal government has failed to appreciate the strategic position of the South South region in the country
The stakeholder, who was the Chairmanship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for Bonny local government at the just concluded local government election in River state, explained that the establishment of other regional development commissions by the National Assembly should not be seen as a reason to scrap the Niger Delta Affairs ministry, even as he noted that the newly created commissions cannot be seen as same with the Niger Delta, which he said was a special commission that was created for a special purpose.
In a statement made available to The Authority on Sunday, Dagogo said,
“We urge president Bola Tinubu to reconsider his move to scrap the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. The ministry is not just like any other ministry, but was borne out of necessity. Nigerians can remember the incidents that necessitated the creation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and it’s supervising ministry.
“This is a zone that has suffered tremendously with no federal presence and development, despite what it puts in the table for other to share every month. Riding up now against the South South zone by scrapping the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is an indication that the government has not learnt from the past
“We urge the president to please reconsider this decision so as to allow the relative peace and development stride the ministry has achieved in the affected zone. We should not return violence and crisis to the Niger Delta, which has already been arrested through the creation of both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs,” he cautioned.
Ambassador Dagogo similarly called on the Senate president, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as well as other senators and national assembly members from the South South zone to rise up and protect the Niger Delta Affairs ministry, which he described as the driving force for the zones’ development,
He reminded the senate president that it was the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs that helped to shore up his political form to stardom, having served as a minister in the ministry, and therefore wondered why all the senators and House of Representatives members from the zone would fold their hands and allow such victimization to happen to the zone.
