Elder statesman and the convener of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Edwin Clark has voiced his disappointment at the Federal Executive Council’s recent decision to eliminate the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
Clark characterized the action as unwarranted and harmful to the growth of the area during a phone call on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Executive Council and President Bola Tinubu abolished the Ministry of Niger Delta and merged its operations into the newly established Ministry of Regional Development.
However, considering the crucial role the ministry was intended to play, Clark said the news of its dissolution was unexpected. He pointed out that late President Musa Yar’Adua had founded the ministry with the explicit goal of addressing the region’s security issues and advancing development.
“What I’ve noted so far is that there’s no basis for scrapping it. Yar’Adua had a clear purpose to address the security situation in the Niger Delta, which led to the creation of the ministry focused on developing that area. We have been working for some time now, managing our commission,” he said.
Clark emphasized that the ministry’s purpose was to meet the unique requirements of the Niger Delta, not just to maintain its administrative framework.
He bemoaned the lack of noticeable progress, citing the delayed completion of large-scale projects such as the East-West Road, which had been turned over to the Ministry of Works under the Niger Delta Ministry without any notable advancements.
“We will not allow it to be scrapped,” Clark added, warning that dismantling the ministry without a plan for its replacement might incite more unhappiness. The government cannot ignore the Niger Delta while using resources from the South-South to develop other areas.
