John Shiklam
14 October 2009


Kaduna — President Umaru Yar'Adua yesterday said the resolution of the crisis in Niger Delta region has given the country the best opportunity for growth and development, saying his administration was determined to do everything possible in order to change both the physical and psychological orientation of the people of the region.

President Umaru Yar'Adua yesterday said the resolution of the crisis in Niger Delta region has given the country the best opportunity for growth and development, saying his administration was determined to do everything possible in order to change both the physical and psychological orientation of the people of the region.

Yar'Adua spoke just as the Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Dimeji Bankole blamed Nigeria and the leaders of the Niger Delta region for under developing the area which he said was the backbone of the Nigerian economy.

They spoke at the post Amnesty Confidence Building Summit which held at Arewa House, Kaduna.

President Yar'Adua who was represented by the Minister of the Niger Delta, Chief Ufot Ekaette, said the success of the amnesty programme has raised the nation's profile as a peaceful, indivisible and cohesive nation capable of providing answers to issues that tear other nations apart.

Yar'Adua said: "That we have been able to implement an amnesty that has no pre-condition attached to it testifies to our ability and resolve to succeeds and chart a new course for out nation and people

"I do believe the holding of this summit at Arewa House symbolises the spirit of unity and identification of other Nigerians to the situation in the Niger Delta.

"The summit is expected to provide an avenue for our brothers outside the Niger Delta to understand and appreciate federal government's efforts at entrenching peace, stability and prosperity in the region. It is pertinent at this stage to congratulate ourselves at the success of the amnesty programme.

"The success has raised our profile as a peaceful, indivisible and cohesive nation capable of providing answers to issue that torn other nations apart.

"To my mind, the early resolution of the Niger Delta question presents one of the best opportunities for Nigeria's growth and development. That is why we need to honestly answer the question: what next?"

He said the federal government will continue to do all within its means in collaboration with other stake holders to carry out the development of the Niger Delta region in accordance with his vision for the region and its people.

He said what was required is the continued support and productive partnership of the people, stressing that he is confident that the path of success in the regeneration of the Niger Delta is clear and assured.

Also in his address at the occasion, Bankole said the Nigerian nation has not been fair to the Niger Delta which has been providing the funds for the running of the country.

He said: If we are to be honest with ourselves, we have not been fair to the Niger Delta. We have been unfair to the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta has been producing the funds with which we've been running this country for so many years.

"The funds we used to build Abuja where I came from this morning, those lovely roads and bridges and offices came from Niger Delta.

"I have not seen such bridges and roads in the Niger Delta. Until those roads and infrastructure come to the Niger Delta, we will continue to put the request on the front burner of the Nigerian politics.

"However, things have begun to change. In the last 10 years, there has been tremendous improvement in the governance, financing of the Niger Delta. In the last 10 years, indigenes of the Niger Delta have been operating at the top level of governance in Nigeria.

"Today, the Vice President is of the Niger Delta origin. Today, the Head of Service that is the engine room of the government is from the Niger Delta.

"The Chief of Defence Staff is also from the Niger Delta. Until a few months ago, even the Inspector-General of Police was from the Niger Delta. Even when it comes to economic, security and politics, Niger Delta is at the top.

"Now let us go to financing. For some of you who have been to Lagos in the past one year, I am sure you will notice the difference. And I am not shy to appreciate that there is a difference in Lagos.

"It is good governance. As I said, there are differences in Nigerian government today. But I will tell you, His Excellency, the governor of Bayelsa State collects 9.2 times more money than Lagos State from the Federal Allocation.

"That is a recent development. Do not compare it with 20 years ago. I know that Rivers State collects more money than the entire North Eastern part of Nigeria, today. I know that Akwa Ibom State collects more money than the entire North Western part of Nigeria today.

"I know that Bayelsa State collects more money than the entire North Central states of Nigeria. Wait, hold on. You said I should speak.

"Please, for the family of my wife and everybody in the Niger Delta, Nigerian budget this year was around N3 trillion. However, by the time you add the budget of the Niger Delta states alone, it is over N1.5trillion.

"There may be over 140 to 150 million people in Nigeria. Niger Delta has about 17million; the remaining 130million is outside the Niger Delta. Those are the facts that 10 to 20 years from now, people are going to ask me, people are going to ask the governor of Bayelsa, people are going to ask all of us here that what we did when these facts were being put on the table.

"When they start abusing me on the headlines tomorrow, just remember what I said here. Now, we have an opportunity. With these funds there must be a difference because the people of the Niger Delta would begin to ask questions of their leaders on how these monies were spent.

"We may have excuses in the past that we were unfair to the Niger Delta. But those are no longer excuses today. When they ask me, I say go and ask them, they are the ones. What did they do with that money?

"Nobody is going to come from Abeokuta to tell you what you do with your money in the creeks. If anybody is telling you that, he is lying. You should ask yourselves about how your money was spent.

"Which House of Assembly in the Niger Delta or in the whole of Nigeria will perform its constitutional authority to ask questions of money spent by the executive?

"And when they ask those questions, we better have answers for them. Not only have we been unfair to the Niger Delta, we have been unfair to the North East, we have been unfair to the North West, we have been unfair to the North Central, we have been unfair to the South East. We have been unfair to Anambra.

"If I may digress, where are those leaders who made their names on the back of Nigerians from Anambra and what are they saying about what is going on in Anambra? Where are they? They will be the first to talk about federalism; they will be the first to talk about what government is doing.

"But none of them is talking about what is going in Anambra today and I will name names. Yes! Where is Chinua Achebe today, he is from Anambra. What is he saying about what is going on in Anambra?

"He is our father, we respect him. Where is the former Vice President, he is from Anambra? Where is Okonjo-Iweala, she's from Anambra. What is happening in the Niger Delta is not different from what is happening in the other parts of the country, except that when the young people of the Niger Delta feel the thing directly, they react.

"Oil will not produce the solution to the Nigerian problem. The technology involved in the development of oil cannot employ Nigerians. If it cannot employ Nigerians, it cannot solve the Nigerian problem."

"However, to solve our problems we need to create a middle class, the creation of employment, mass employment and if the north does not take the initiative, nobody is going anywhere in this country.

"Our dear fathers, Emirs, governors, presidents of northern extraction, 80 per cent of our arable land are not cultivated. And if you cannot cultivate, you cannot process, and if we cannot process, we cannot get anywhere.

"So, the solution has to with the performance of governance as far as I am concerned in the largest and most populous African country with its major population of northern extraction, it has to be done.

"It is not a 100 meter race; it is a long distance race. It is not a one year or two year thing, it is a long way and you have done it before. You did it 50 years ago, you can advise us on how to do it."



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