Tinubu Planning To Use South South Money To Develop Other Development Commissions- Clark

Pan Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of planning to use the money from the Niger Delta oil to develop other regions.

The former Commissioner of Information who spoke in Abuja, the nation’s capital was reacting to the scrapping, on Wednesday, of the Ministry of the Niger Delta by the president.

Apart from the Niger Delta Ministry, the president announced after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting yesterday that the Ministry of Sports has also been scrapped.

The decision was part of the administration’s shake-up of the cabinet to deliver its election promise to Nigerians, the Presidency said.

Tinubu also announced the sack of five ministers and the appointment of seven new ones, as part of the re-organisation of the FEC.

Reacting to the scrapping of the Niger Delta Ministry, Clark who is also the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF said it was an error on the part of the president to do so, stressing that the aim for creating the ministry by the late President Umaru Yar-adua has yet to be achieved.

According to him, the creation of the ministry by the late president has helped to calm frayed nerves in Nigeria’s oil bearing region, adding that insecurity could crept back to the region due to Tinubu’s decision.

The elder statesman said the people of the Niger Delta will resist the plan to divert funds meant for the development of the oil producing states in Nigeria, to other regions.

Tinubu’s decision to scrap the ministry, Clark said, came as a ‘surprise’ to him and the well meaning people of the region.

Clark: “What I have noted so far is that there is 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 to focus on the development of that area. We have been working for some time now, managing our commissions.

“It is not about that; it is the administrative structure created by the President. Unfortunately, it was misunderstood by Nigerians due to its complexity.

“Why would you take over a Ministry without any development plans, funding, or concrete actions? Even the East-West Road, which was meant to be under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, is not being addressed; it has been handed back to the Ministry of Works.

“What I am saying is that the federal government lacks special arrangements for this region. When I saw that every region was establishing its development centres or Commissions, I anticipated these issues would arise.

“Are there going to be multiple ministries within one region? One would expect that 30 or 40 people would have walked out to share the details.

“I remember during the national conference in 2014, it was decided to increase the revenue allocation to the regions from 13% to 25%. Ultimately, it was settled at 18%, but we disagreed, which led to further discussions about a separate fund to support development post-Boko Haram.

“There was also an agreement that 5% of the federation account would be allocated annually to support regions affected by the conflict. Unfortunately, this has not been implemented.

“We also agreed that 5% of the revenue account should be dedicated to developing mineral resources and other industries to enhance local capacity. I was pleased with these discussions, but they haven’t translated into action, which is disturbing.

“The government needs to consult with the leaders of the Niger Delta and the South-South region. What we ate saying is that these unresolved issues cannot be overlooked by the government.

“The government must explain why they decided to halt critical legislation. This raises concerns about how the benefits of regional developments are being managed. Many people feel disconnected from the process, and it seems resources are being diverted from local needs.”

Clark continued, “We need to ensure that regional development isn’t scrapped without a clear plan for its replacement. We will not allow it to be scrapped, the government wants to use South South money to develop other Development Commissions.

“In a democratic system, the government should be created for the people, by the people, and for their benefit. It shouldn’t operate as a one-man show.”

The magazine reported that President Tinubu yesterday announced the creation of the Ministry of Regional Development to oversee all the regional development commissions, such as Niger Delta Development Commission, North West Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and North East Development Commission.

In a tweet by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, on Wednesday, the decision was reached during the FEC meeting