GOVERNMENT
OF DELTA STATE
OFFICE
OF THE GOVERNOR
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
NIGERIA
I wish to congratulate
the President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua for his bold initiative in setting
up the Ministry of Niger Delta to tackle the challenges of the region
which has long festered and has become a source of national instability.
The step by the President
demonstrates his seriousness to tackle this challenge in a meaningful
and coordinated manner and I would urge our people to support it. As
a first step, it is extremely positive, although I wish to note there
are larger issues in the region that would require Constitutional amendment,
but the President has shown leadership by the action he has taken.
The benefits of having
this ministry is such that issues of policy and programme for the region
can now be discussed at the highest policy making level of the federal
government and close attention paid to it. I do believe that had this
ministry existed before now, a strategic road like the 150 billion Naira
East-West road for instance, would have received proper funding that
would have in all likelihood scaled up its budgetary provision far above
the present ridiculous figure in the 2008 budget provision.
With this ministry in
place the Multi-national oil companies operating in the region are challenged
to contribute their own quota in infrastructure development and in creating
job opportunities for the youths, because that is one major way the
youth restiveness can be curbed.
In Delta State, our policy
of funding by allocating 50% of the 13% derivation to the state intervention
agency in the riverine oil bearing communities through the Delta State
Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), has yield a
lot of results, which shows that with commitment and resolve, the challenges
before the region can be taken care of.
Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan
Governor, Delta State
.