The announcement of the creation of a full pledged Niger Delta Ministry by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (UMYA) on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 – few days after his return from Saudi Arabia where he went for the Muslim Umra (Lesser Hajj) and medical check-up is one of the major events that happened during the week. The other major events were: the decoration of the new armed forces service chiefs appointed by the President before his foreign trip to Saudi Arabia and the sudden firing from office of Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, from the seat of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and his replacement with Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, the erstwhile Defence Minister with immediate effect. These remarkable events have preoccupied the attention of many Nigerians and the mass media during the week.

More importantly however, is the vexed issue of the Niger Delta that continues to receive government raft attention in the last six months or so. For instance, just before the sudden announcement of the creation of the newest ministry for the Niger Delta at the federal level, the federal government recently constituted a 45-Member Niger Delta Technical Committee to collate all the past reports on the Niger Delta issues and advice the federal government on the way forward for the region accordingly. The technical committee has since been inaugurated by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and has been given 10 days within which to submit its report to the federal government.

All these continuous developments and engagements with the Niger Delta stakeholders by the federal government are part of the strategic designs being put in place by President Yar’Adua’s administration. These are innovative initiatives towards finding lasting solutions to the decades of neglect by the successive Nigerian governments of the monumental and paradoxical underdevelopment and environmental pollution crises in the Niger Delta created by oil and gas development processes.  

What I would like to suggest to the Presidency is that, the creation of the Ministry for Niger Delta should not be seen as the panacea for the problems at hand. Rather, this giant step should be handled with great care as it may be hijacked by the same special interest groups that constituted themselves as cogs in the wheel of progress in the Niger Delta conundrum.

Therefore, I may quickly suggest that President Yar’Adua should make Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as the pioneer Minister of the new Ministry for Niger Delta for a start. For example, both former President Olusegun Obasanjo, other former Presidents and Heads of States and even, now, President Yar’Adua held the portfolio of Minister of Petroleum and Energy Resources in previous and present dispensations. Therefore, tasking the Vice President with the portfolio of the new Ministry for the Niger Delta should be seen as a timely and welcome development by all.

The second Minister (i.e. the junior Minister of State) should be a person (male or female) of the highest integrity, technical competence and managerial prowess. The Minister of state for the Niger Delta should be chosen from any part of the country regardless of any geographical, regional and or ethnic colouration and affiliation. This is to conform to the relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria (i.e. particularly Chapter IV (42) (1) and Third Schedule – Part I (c) 8 (1) (a) (b) etc – Federal Character Commission) with respect to bureaucratic and political appointments.

May I also suggest that the new ministry for the Niger Delta should be a unique one in the sense that it should avoid over bureaucratization of its staff. It should not be turned into an avenue for jobs for the political hangers-on, families and friends of the politicians across the country and Niger Delta political elites. It should not also be turned into another gold mine by fictitious and instant contractors and consultants for everything – the Nigerian factor.

The Ministry should be allowed to function and operate with core competent and result oriented professional staffs that are best suited for the positions to be established under the political guidance of an astute Vice President. That is to say, the funds meant for the physical and socio-economic development of the Niger Delta should be squandered in oiling bloated bureaucracy and political hangers-on at the expense of the suffering people of the Niger Delta, whose cries and struggles were responsible for the creation of the Ministry in the first place.

Last but by means the least, the federal government should tidy up the mess presently at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and streamline its activities with the aims, objectives, vision and mission of the new Ministry and whatever recommendations that the Niger Delta Technical Committee will present to the government for implementation.

The new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed is definitely an experienced hand and his appointment to the exalted position is timely as he has all what it takes to set the ball rolling to midwife this nascent but very important Ministry - a new innovation in the annals of the political economy of the Niger Delta struggle for fair and equitable sustainable development. Mr. President deserves commendation for his foresight in listening to Nigerians on this vexed issue. Indeed, the nation and the world are all watching and praying for a successful take-off of the new Ministry. Good luck. 

Robot  Villager

# 1 The new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed is definitely an experienced hand and his appointment to the exalted position is timely as he has all what it take...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 21.09.2008 17:52