The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has condemned the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) decision to scrap the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
President Bola Tinubu chaired the FEC meeting on Wednesday, where the ministry was replaced with a new Ministry of Regional Development, overseeing regional development commissions.
In a communiqué issued on Sunday after PANDEF’s general assembly, the forum expressed concern that “critical stakeholders” were not consulted before the decision.
“The assembly notes with serious concern the scrapping of the ministry of Niger Delta, which was established to address specific issues bordering on the peculiar circumstances of the Niger Delta, its damaged environment, and its overall importance to the national economy,” it added.
PANDEF which further criticized the dissolution of the ministry without considering its original purpose or consulting stakeholders, urged the Federal Government to engage stakeholders and address concerns, particularly with policies aimed at increasing oil production.
The proposed South South Development Commission should supplement existing federal agencies, PANDEF suggested.
However, the forum emphasized that the “Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) name should reflect its functions and actual membership.”
PANDEF also called on Niger Delta state governments to “utilize revenues from the 13 percent derivation” for critical programs and embark on massive industrialization to generate wealth, employment, and skills.
