Group Tasks Niger Delta Minister To Fast-track Development, Economic Recovery

The Niger Delta Youths Supreme Governing Council (NDYSGC) has charged the newly appointed and inaugurated Minister of Niger Delta Development, Mohammed Momoh to fast track development of the region to make up for the massive deficits in infrastructures.

The group called for the declaration of state of emergency on the East West road, adding that it should be completed before the end of 2024

The group, gave the charge in a press statement jointly signed by the President General, Secretary General and Director of Media and Communications, Comrades Douyi Willy, Efemena Umukoro and Nnamdi Ofonye respectively in Abuja.

The statement also demanded for the construction of a Niger Delta inter state rail network to boost economic activities between the component States and also reduce the burden on the roads that have all become dilapidated and death traps.

The group while congratulating the Minister on his appointment also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for dousing the tension initially created by the non announcement of a minister for the Ministry fuelling “a vexatious news that the ministry had been scrapped,”

The group noted that the ministry of Niger Delta is a very key and dear to the Niger Delta people.

The group therefore, urged the Minister to develop an urgent master plan that will restore the hope of the people owing to the long term failures of the past ministers to initiate and complete any signature project.

The youths stressed that it will no longer be business as usual as the people of the region are more aware than ever before and “will no longer look away from the activities of governance and those saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring that they feel the impact of Governance”

The statement noted that President Bola Tinubu specifically appointed Mohammed Momoh to man the ministry which oversees the NDDC based on his track record.

The group further emphasized the need for the Minister to put his feet down to see that the NDDC rises to its core mandate of not only developing the nine states under its jurisdiction but to also ensure that the lives and livelihood of the citizens are much bettered.

They suggested that “youth empowerment and capacity building programmes should be continuously implemented by both the Ministry and the NDDC”.

On infrastructure, the youths demanded that a state of emergency should be declared on the East West road and get it completed before the end of 2024 adding that anything short of that will be unacceptable.

They also demanded for the construction of a Niger Delta inter state rail network that will boost economic activities between the component States and also reduce burden on the roads that have all become dilapidated and death traps.

The statement further read in part “We are now here assuring the govt and the people that owing to our spread as the coalition body of all ethnic and non ethnic youth groups in the Niger Delta, we will stand as a watch dog monitoring activities of the ministry, NDDC and the contractors as any act of failure or sabotage on the part of any will be vehemently attended to as excuses will no longer be tolerated for failure”.

The group also congratulated other ministers from the Niger Delta region appointed into various ministries and urged them to join hands together with the Minister of Niger Delta Development and attract meaningful developments to the zone.

They also appealed to President Tinubu to make public the content of the forensic audit report initiated and completed by the Buhari administration that has surprisingly been swept under the carpet.