Wanted: More FG action, less talk on the Niger Delta
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Babagana Kingibe
The recent pronouncement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babagana Kingibe, on the Niger Delta region leaves a lot to be desired.
The SGF had said that the people of the Niger Delta, the country's honey pot, should be blamed for their travails. He urged them to hold their leaders responsible for deprivations in the oil and gas region, since the leaders allegedly failed to harness all that had accrued to them for the development of the region.
Kingibe might have alluded to the obvious, considering the abysmal performance of the regions' helmsmen who piloted affairs of that area in the past eight years. Following allegations of looting and plundering against the former governors, their activities have since come under the searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). That is not the only issue. What of a government at the centre, that has exploited the natural resources of the same region in the past 50 years?
The SGF chose to make such a sensitive statement at a time the Federal Government should be concerned that it was not meeting its avowed declaration of solving the region's problems in its first 100 days.
Unless otherwise stated, the SGF's statement would appear to objective observers to underscore the present administrations' posture of nonchalance to the plight of the people of the region who he admits lay the golden eggs for the nation. It is even more worrisome when you relate that to the alleged comments credited to President Umaru Musa Yar' Adua that the debts owed the NDDC has expired.
The president had promised to deal with the Niger Delta issue within his first 100 days. That has not happened and may not happen soon. We feel that the more the leadership continues to shy away from the more fundamental issues that bear strongly on the welfare and desire of the Niger Delta people; the more we shall continue to experience restiveness within the region.
The situation in the area will change significantly, if among other palliatives, adequate attention is given to projects that will create viable economic opportunities and improve skills acquisition capacity for the youths. These should go beyond rhetoric and political gimmick.
It is unfortunate that the Niger Delta Master Plan, as beautiful as it may look, has been in existence for a while without essentially altering the matrix of deprivation and underdevelopment in the area. Indeed the successful implementation of the plan through the NDDC is becoming elusive considering the huge debts owed to the commission by the Federal Government. It is our view that the funds owed the NDDC be made available to it to enable it execute its programmes. It will remain disingenuous of the Federal Government if it does not explain the basis on which it claims that the debt it owes the NDDC had expired.
Blaming the leadership of the region will not solve any problem. It would rather aggravate the lingering crisis.
Rather than blame the region's leaders for their problems, Yar 'Adua's administration should work assiduously in ensuring a comprehensive identification and understanding of all the problems facing the Niger Delta (and the rest of us) and take honest and convincing steps to provide lasting solutions to these problems. The present administration is yet to address these issues.
Effective governance is about solving problems, not buck-passing.
Kingibe might have alluded to the obvious, considering the abysmal performance of the regions' helmsmen who piloted affairs of that area in the past eight years. Following allegations of looting and plundering against the former governors, their activities have since come under the searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). That is not the only issue. What of a government at the centre, that has exploited the natural resources of the same region in the past 50 years?
The SGF chose to make such a sensitive statement at a time the Federal Government should be concerned that it was not meeting its avowed declaration of solving the region's problems in its first 100 days.
Unless otherwise stated, the SGF's statement would appear to objective observers to underscore the present administrations' posture of nonchalance to the plight of the people of the region who he admits lay the golden eggs for the nation. It is even more worrisome when you relate that to the alleged comments credited to President Umaru Musa Yar' Adua that the debts owed the NDDC has expired.
The president had promised to deal with the Niger Delta issue within his first 100 days. That has not happened and may not happen soon. We feel that the more the leadership continues to shy away from the more fundamental issues that bear strongly on the welfare and desire of the Niger Delta people; the more we shall continue to experience restiveness within the region.
The situation in the area will change significantly, if among other palliatives, adequate attention is given to projects that will create viable economic opportunities and improve skills acquisition capacity for the youths. These should go beyond rhetoric and political gimmick.
It is unfortunate that the Niger Delta Master Plan, as beautiful as it may look, has been in existence for a while without essentially altering the matrix of deprivation and underdevelopment in the area. Indeed the successful implementation of the plan through the NDDC is becoming elusive considering the huge debts owed to the commission by the Federal Government. It is our view that the funds owed the NDDC be made available to it to enable it execute its programmes. It will remain disingenuous of the Federal Government if it does not explain the basis on which it claims that the debt it owes the NDDC had expired.
Blaming the leadership of the region will not solve any problem. It would rather aggravate the lingering crisis.
Rather than blame the region's leaders for their problems, Yar 'Adua's administration should work assiduously in ensuring a comprehensive identification and understanding of all the problems facing the Niger Delta (and the rest of us) and take honest and convincing steps to provide lasting solutions to these problems. The present administration is yet to address these issues.
Effective governance is about solving problems, not buck-passing.
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Comments (1 posted):
Take Rivers state for example. The only thing Odili could point to was a new Government house, State assembly complex and new State liason house in abuja- in 8 years of "rule"!!! Of what good is any of this to the common man on the street!? Yet we have it said that the new road linking NAF base to Airport road was commissioned by Obasanjo about 3 times- different sections of it. For a city relatively small, and being the second or third richest state in Nigeria, the man should be shot!!!
We really do need to hold our Governors more accountable. People like Lucky and Orji don't deserve to be free men!! Rather than solve problems for their states, they only compounded it. The state should be more visible than the FG!! And the LG moreso. That is another level of government that is just wasting the nations resources!! I would like to see the EFCC begin to beam its serchlight on the LG's as well.
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