From Patrick Ugeh in Abuja, 05.25.2009



Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Obong Ufot Ekaette, said at the weekend that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs would embark on regional mega projects like railways, independent power projects and integrated agricultural schemes that would cut across the region.
The purpose, he said, was to make the states and local governments concentrate on their normal projects to serve the interest of their people. Speaking at the briefing of the heads of diplomatic missions held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, he reiterated that the present administration's resolve to bring about a lasting solution to the problems of the region and give the people a new lease of life, necessitated the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs with the mandate to coordinate all developmental efforts in the area so as to fast-track the transformation of the region.
According to him, the stakeholders were initially skeptical of the creation of the ministry because of the failure of the previous interventionist agencies to deliver even marginal benefits.
He restated that the consultation tours embarked upon by the Minister of State and himself were a convincing exercise for well-meaning indigenes and leaders of the Niger Delta who have since adopted a cautious optimism about the creation of the Ministry. He stated that the Ministry had commenced the implementation of programmes outlined in this year's budget.
The Minister said one of the measures taken to bring about peace, stability and development in the region was to provide jobs for the youths of the Niger Delta region.
"This would include training them so that they could work in the oil and gas companies operating in the region and begin to see themselves as co-owners of the multi-national companies rather than destroy the facilities put in place for the operations of the oil firms," he elaborated.
Ekaette added that the Ministry had pre-qualified consultants to design skills acquisition centres for the nine states, while the selection of contractors for the construction of the projects and other infrastructure such as the state offices and housing projects for the nine states needed to open up the Niger Delta region is in progress.
Other efforts, he added, include the re-award of the contract for the completion of the abandoned East-West Road for the execution of which N28.4 billion had been provided in the current budget.
Also, he said arrangements were on for the selection of consultants and contractors to undertake the cleaning up of oil-impacted sites in the Niger Delta to improve the environment and the health of the people. Ekaette said the Federal Government had awarded a contract for the procurement of oil spill response boat and equipment for NOSDRA to enhance the capacity for prompt remediation of oil impacted sites.
In addition, the Minister stated that the ministry would involve consultants for the survey and design of the 721-kilometre Niger Delta Coastal Road , which would run from Calabar in Cross River State to Ilaje in Ondo State.
He further stated that the Ministry would be focusing on women and other groups and that modalities were being worked out with banks to provide micro credit to those wishing to embark on revenue-generating projects that would make them self-reliant.
The Minister appealed to the youths of the region to give peace a chance as he affirmed that the international groups who had approached his Ministry for possible investment in the Niger Delta, had stressed the importance of peace and security as pre-conditions for investing in the region.
He regretted the unfortunate events of the past few days arising from the killing of the Nigerian soldiers by some criminally-minded elements and the attempt by the military to fish out the perpetrators leading to the displacement of some persons from their homes in Warri South Local Govern-ment.
Earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, noted that the Niger Delta crisis was a national challenge but assured that the Federal Government was on top of it.

na today

when

mega projects in a war zone?

Do they know something we don't know?

Nice project. Especially the Farm projects. This will put them in the position to complain when the oil companies are degrading their environments instead of the oppressed people. Welcomed development. Niger Delta rail be a super project.