By Austin Ogwuda
Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it”, once wrote William Shakespeare (1564-1616) about DECEPTION
Pondering on the above quote from the VANGUARD Book Of Quotations, compiled by Dr. Bamidele A. Sobowale, on the nine-letter word – Deception, may probably be an inkling to what is happening in the oil rich Niger Delta region in Nigeria.
Over the years, the Niger Delta struggle has been on, like a football match played by the teams, without getting the expected goals SCORED because there is actually no goal post to net in the ball or that the post is shifted from time to time in a suspicious manner that prevents goal scoring.
Without a goal post, can any goal be scored, certainly the answer is NO!
Take cursory look at the so-called interventions believed to have been rolled out by the successive governments to assuage the grave and life-threatening concerns in the Niger Delta, can you see any light at the end of the tunnel addressing holistically the plethora of problems there?
If the Niger Delta region which lays the golden egg for the country called Nigeria is really valued as being brandished, why should a key ministry called the Ministry of Niger Delta not be a top priority to be assigned a Minister, to the extent that it became a subject of controversy leading to speculation whether it has been scrapped or not.
Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to scrap the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
In a communiqué signed by its National Leader, Chief Edwin Clark and National Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien and released at the end of their meeting in Abuja on Friday, August 18, the group stated that the ministry which was created by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and sustained by the successive administrations of President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari must continue to function.
PANDEF therefore, asked President Tinubu to nominate a minister for Niger Delta Affairs, threatening that scrapping the ministry would be met with “adverse consequences.”
According to the communique,
“The meeting discussed issues pertaining to the ongoing appointment and assignment of ministers, as it affects the states of the Niger Delta region and South South geo-political zone, particularly, the omission of the ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. The meeting resolves as follows:
“Expresses great surprise that in the published assignment of ministers to their various cabinet portfolios, there is none designated for the existing ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
“Reminds Mr. President that the Ministry of Niger Delta was created, specifically, to focus on infrastructural development, environmental protection and empowerment of youths in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, which continues to be greatly impacted by the oil and gas industry, and remains the live-wire of the national economy.
“That the ministry which was created by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2008, and was sustained under his two immediate predecessors (Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari) to help advance the course of the peace in the Niger Delta region.
“Cautions that any misguided step towards scrapping or submerging the ministry, will create an unfavorable environment with adverse consequences.
Well said. But is there the will power, cooperation and understanding of the people of the region to remain on the same page on this.
Because recently, outspoken Elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark made a shocking revelation during an interactive session with the Arise Television on the programme, tagged, ‘Prime Time’.
Clark, in his usual voiciferous manner, called out a prominent citizen of the Niger Delta region in the person of Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi for throwing spanner in the works in the quest to actualize the Niger Delta struggle.
Fielding questions, Pa Clark said, “I agree with you that people from the region (Niger Delta) contribute to the impoverishment of their own people too.
“But let me tell you the ministry of Niger Delta was in charge of the East West road but no proper allocation was made to that ministry.
“Recently, the President of the Senate who was then the Minister of Niger Delta said that about N75 billion naira made available to him (Akpabio) to construct the East West road was taken and the East West road was now the responsibility of the ministry of Works.
“He (Senate President) said he didn’t spend that money; they took it from him.
So it is not true that over N500 billion was voted for that road, nothing was voted for it”.
Continuing, he said, “there was to be a rail line from Calabar via the coastal areas to Lagos. But Amaechi who was the Transport Minister from the Niger Delta was more carried away to keep his office by worshipping the President, building transportation, schools in Daura, building railways to Niger State.
“He is back, now he is no more in office. He has not been able to go home because he is ashamed. What has he done for his people?”, asked Pa Clark.
Two important issues were raised above by Pa Clark.
One is the gross insincerity on the part of government and another is act of sabotage from within.
You can see that some people of the region are their own enemies themselves – a case of cutting the nose to spit the face.
What an irony, indeed!
Was it not obvious that the Ministry of Niger Delta even when it was there, was it adequately funded to meet the yearnings of the people who are suffering from oil and gas pollution daily, economically impoverished with attendant health implications whereas the same natural resources taken from their backyards.
That two Ministers, senior and junior, expected to be assigned there as at the time of this report were yet to be named requires no further interpretations.
But will PANDEF, other Niger Delta activists, including the governors of the region irrespective of political leanings and most especially the current President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio from the region and who was there as a Minister once upon a time, rise to the occasion?
Time, will certainly tell but The Town Hall Media urges the Niger Delta people to smell the coffee.
