Niger Delta Ministry Executed 553 Projects In 7 Years – Umana

Federal government has said it executed 553 projects across the nine states of the Niger Delta in seven years, from 2015 to 2022.

The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was created on 10th September, 2008 and commenced actual operation in February 2009.

Its creation was to address a series of agitations experienced in the region as a result of infrastructural deficits, environmental degradation, and pollution issues confronting the Niger Delta Region, primarily caused by hydrocarbon activities such as gas flaring, crude exploitation, and oil spillage.

The minister, Umana Okon Umana stated this at the 12th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari, PMB’s Scorecard Series (2015-2023)’ organised to showcase the achievements of the Buhari administration yesterday in Abuja.

Umana said some recovered funds by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would be used to finance specific critical projects in the Niger Delta.

He, however, said reconciliation of the various recovered funds was still ongoing, considering the fact that such funds were in different currencies.

He said the delay in the completion of the East-West road was largely tied to inadequate appropriations over the years, but said the issue would be put to rest soon.

“The East-West Road project is a dual carriageway and a priority project that spans a total length of 338km with well over 41 Nos. bridges. It runs from Warri through Port Harcourt to Oron, with a proposed extension to Calabar.

“291km out of the 338km dual carriageway completed and all the 41 Nos bridges also completed (with 2 Nos. deck on pile bridges substantially completed) by the Ministry before the road project was transferred to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in 2021,” he said.

The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the federal government would announce new measures taken by the owners of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, Meta, to address fake news and disinformation ahead of the 2023 general elections.

In his welcome address, he reiterated that fake news and disinformation constitute a clear and present danger to the success of the 2023 elections, just like violence, insecurity, vote buying, and attack on INEC facilities, among others.

He added, “In this regard, I want to acknowledge the announcement by Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, that it will take clearly-outlined steps to protect the integrity of the forthcoming elections.

“Specifically, Meta detailed the actions it plans to take to combat disinformation and to make political advertising more transparent.”

The company committed to these actions before, during and after the elections.

The minister said he hopes Meta will live up to its promise while urging other platform owners like Google (owners of YouTube and others), ByteDance (owners of TikTok), Twitter and the Telegram Group Inc.

“Owners of Telegram messenger to emulate Meta by taking positive steps to prevent the spread of fake news, disinformation and hate speech via their platforms ahead, during and after the 2023 elections,” he added.