President Bola Tinubu’s decision to abolish the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has been denounced by the Ijaw Youth Council, or IYC, Worldwide.
According to the group, the decision is unacceptable to the local populace.
In the interest of regional growth and the stability of the national economy, the group encouraged the president to reevaluate the decision.
In a statement released Friday in Port Harcourt, IYC Secretary-General Maobuye Nangi Obu emphasized that the Niger Delta should have more specialized programs, projects, ministries, and intervention agencies rather than removing development-focused organizations.
Obu said that rather than being dissolved, the ministry may have been restructured to handle particular area issues if overlapping functions were a problem.
“There is absolutely no reason to demolish the infrastructure put in place for the development of the Niger Delta. We anticipate that the federal government would restructure any underperforming interventionist agencies to better meet the particular requirements of our area,” Obu stated.
He emphasized the Niger Delta’s ongoing disadvantages, which include difficult terrain and environmental damage from oil exploitation, which offer funds for initiatives in other regions of the nation.
The Niger Delta should be considered a “special territory” that necessitates several federal initiatives, the Secretary-General underlined.
“We expect President Tinubu, who understands our challenges, to appreciate the need for the Niger Delta Ministry rather than endorsing its removal.
“The IYC urges the President to reestablish the ministry and assign it a unique mandate, as well as to create additional programs, projects, and ministries to address the multitude of issues hindering development in the region,” he added.
