The House of Representatives has stepped down a motion asking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rescind the decision to change the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development.
The motion was sponsored by Oboku Oforji, representing Bayelsa, but was withdrawn after Speaker Abbas Tajudeen revealed that President Tinubu had assured him of his willingness to receive the South-South Development Commission Bill, addressing specific issues in the Niger Delta region.
The decision to drop the motion came after Speaker Tajudeen informed the House that he had met with President Tinubu last week, and the President expressed his commitment to addressing the concerns of the Niger Delta region.
This development has rendered the motion unnecessary, as the President’s move is seen as a broader initiative to cater to the region’s needs. The House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, also emphasized that the conversion of the ministry would not deny the Niger Delta region its due development but rather broaden its scope to include other regions.
The Ministry of Niger Delta Development was established in 2008 by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to promote development, peace, unity, and security in the region.
The ministry was created to address the decades-long neglect and suffering of the region, which produces a significant portion of the country’s economic wealth but remains poor and poorly governed. Years of oil spillage, lack of arable land, and social amenities have necessitated the emergence of militancy in the oil-rich region.
Oforji, while moving the motion, recalled the good intentions and foresight of late President Yar’Adua in creating the ministry. He stressed that the ministry was essential for promoting and coordinating policies for the development, peace, unity, and security of the Niger Delta Region.
However, with the President’s assurance to receive the South-South Development Commission Bill, the concerns raised by Oforji have been addressed, leading to the withdrawal of the motion.
The move comes as President Tinubu has signed the North-West and South-East Development Commission Bills into law, establishing interventionist agencies to address development challenges in those regions.
