Some stakeholders have disagreed with Chief Edwin Clark’s rejection of the newly created Ministry of Regional Development by President Bola Tinubu’s Administration.
Tinubu in a significant cabinet rejig on Wednesday renamed the Ministry of Niger Delta Development to the Ministry of Regional Development.
The federal government explained that the new ministry would oversee not only the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission ,(NDDC), but all other regional development commissions established by law
The other commissions under the supervision of the new ministry are, the South East Development Commission, the North East Development Commission and the North West Development Commission.
Shortly after the announcement, Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Information, faulted the decisions contending that there was no basis for scrapping the ministry,.
The leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF accused the Federal Government of planning to use the money from the South-South geo- political zone to develop the various development commissions of other geo- political zones that had been established.
However, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday the stakeholders said the laudable decision by the federal government was misconceived by the elder statesman.
They described the creation of the new ministry as a very good move for proper and effective coordination of the regional commissions.
Prof. Stephen Onah, former Chief Executive Director, National Mathematical Centre (NMC), said the development would reduce administrative cost of running the commissions independently.
“I see the creation of a new Ministry of Regional Development as a very good move by the federal government in terms of proper and effective coordination of the regional commissions.
“The federal ministries are normally funded from the federation account.In that sense, the fear of using a particular region’s funds to develop other regions should not be contemplated,” Onah said.
He, however, urged the federal government to abide by its principle of funding the new ministry from the federation account.
Dr Taiwo Benson, National Coordinator Network on Social Protection Advocacy in Nigeria (NSPAN) said, although, Clark is entitled to his opinion based on his convictions, but, every region has its developmental challenges.
“As far as I am concerned the creation of the Ministry of Regional Development is a welcome development.
“For example, the neglect of the North East region by the past administrations contributed to the Boko Haram related violence in that region which has gulped billions of naira in military operations to restore peace.
“As the situation in the Niger Delta necessitated the creation of Niger Delta Ministry but same federal government decided to create a single Ministry to harmonise all the developmental programmes in various regions.
“Mind you each of this regions has its own resources and also contributed to the nation’s revenue based,” he said.
Benson said that while, he recognised the unique challenges that environmental pollution caused to the Niger Delta, pushing residents deepe into poverty,that was not enough to discard the other regions.
“As an organisation, it is a welcome development and we commend the President for this bold step.
“However, we urge the government to ensure that the new ministry should not be seen as another cash cow for corrupt politicians.
“The President must ensure that appropriate systems should be put in place to ensure there is transparency and accountability in the utilisation of government resources deployed to alleviate poverty and support the poor to breathe,” he said
Corroborating Benson’s view, Dr Wale Sadeeq, a Political Scientist and Media Practitioner, said the decision would streamline governance, especially with the recent creation of some regional development commissions.
Sadeeq said it would not only be unwise to create separate ministries for each of them, it would also be tantamount to waste of government resources.
“To me, the Ministry of Niger Delta was not scrapped. It was only expanded and renamed, which, I think, is a step in the right direction.
“It is a move by the federal government toward streamlining governance, especially with the recent creation of some regional development commissions, aside the Niger Delta Development Commission that had been in existence before.
“It is also wrong for Chief Edwin Clark to accuse the federal government of planning to use the money from the South-South geo-political zone for the development of other zones.
“It is pertinent for the elder statesman to know that the other zones do have their own resources and they are also contributing to the nation’s commonwealth,” he said.
Sadeeq urged the federal government to move further, by implementing the pending Oronsaye Report to allow for more efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery at the federal level.
Some other Stakeholders in the North-East region said the establishment of the new ministry would spur developments in the respective regions of the country.
Mr Jamilu Mohammed, founder of Murya Magazine based in Yola, Adamawa State said, the establishment of the new ministry of regional development will help to coordinate and supervise all regional developmental programmes.l
He added that, besides supervisory role, the new ministry would galvanize stakeholders to brainstorm and design the roadmap to be adopted in terms of even regional development.
While giving particular reference to North-East Development Commission, Mohammed said, though a new establishment, but it has intervened in several areas of needs of the people of the region.
“With the collaboration we have with the commission, even as a nascent entity, the impacts have been felt in the construction of boreholes, blocks of classrooms and other basic amenities
”The commission supported vulnerable people especially families who are affected by Boko Haram insurgency, they are also part of the durable solution effort as well as support to vulnerable groups,” he said
Also speaking, Mr Peter Egwudah, Chairman, Network of Adamawa Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) said, the establishment of the Ministry for Regional Development was a welcome development.
Egwudah said, the move woyld ensure harmonisation, effectiveness and coordination of all the regional development programmes undertaken by respective commissions.
”It will ensure that agencies are not working at cross purposes and there will be opportunities for peer review among the development commissions from greater delivery of democracy dividends,” he said.
Another Stakeholder, Mr Haruna Idachaba said that the move would enable development to spread fast to other neglected zones.
“Over time, all regions have suffered one disaster or the other which ranges from banditry in the North East, kidnapping in the north west and lots more.
“These challenges have displaced so many people with some losing sources of livelihood.
“The creation of the Ministry of Regional Development will help to provide victims of these activities with adequate relief material that will cushion the effect of the disasters,” Idachaba explained.
NAN reports that the Minister of the newly created Ministry, Abubakar Momoh, who headed the scrapped Ministry of Niger Delta Development had clarified that the Niger Delta Development Commission is still functional.
Momoh explained that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was renamed and given a greater responsibility under the Ministry of Regional Development.
“For our people over there in the Niger Delta region, I would like them to know that that has not removed anything from them.
“The NDDC is still very much in place, which is still under the Ministry of Regional Development and all other such agencies are there.
“It’s just a question of change of nomenclature and, of course, expansion of activities of the ministry. So, I think it’s worth commending,” he assured. (NAN)
Ahmed Musa
