Stakeholders Unanimous On New Face Of Economic Devt For Niger Delta
STAKEHOLDERS in Delta Delta region have decried the lack of attention to the region, lamenting the fate that has befallen her, despite being the main stay of the economy of the nation.
They noted that one of the painful aspects of the neglect is denial of the region of its water space, and free access to the oil business in the country and advocated for a new forms and ways to develop the area.
The above views were as expressed during the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF), 2021 Annual Lecture, the third in its annual series with the Theme: Niger Delta Economy: Building A New Face For The Region”, which held on Thursday, October 21, 2021, in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
At the event which had in attendance, former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, as Guest Speaker, the Governor of Delta State, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, represented his Chief of Staff, Barr Festus Ovie Agas, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, represented by one of his Aides, Mr. Joseph Adimabua, Miss Ankio Briggs, Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, Miss Faith Nwadishi, Dr. Ignatius Nwanze Ezoem, and the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), represented by the Director of Media, they all took turns to canvas various views on the way forward for the region.
In his submission, the Guest Lecturer, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, condemned the idea of the continuous tagging of the Niger Delta region as a “Red Zone”bby the international community, saying that activities in the area is mainly fueled by the actions of the companies, as not considering the plight and needs of the people, especially in the diversification of the economy of the area.
The former governor stated that the region can be moved from its present underdeveloped phase to a better one, where human capital development is highly carried along with other indices of human development.
He also condemned the act of the law of the federation, which denies the states of the region the water space, which is to be harnessed by the various states for their economic growth as it is done with those with massive landspace in the country.
Also speaking, the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa called on the continuous development of the youths through skilled acquisition, stating that the states in the region had agreed to work more closely to have a homogenous drive to improve the lives of the people and grow the economy.”
On his part, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, stated that one of the areas for a new economy to be built in the region, should be developed to sources and represent the diversity of facts of the people they serve, particularly that there is a lot of diversity in the form of multi-ethnic and multi-religious character of the region.
A renowned activist, Ms Annkio Briggs, canvassed the view that the region is geographically positioned and endowed with human capital resources, noting; “When you talk about human capital resources, we have it, when you talk about the geographic location, we have it. Niger Delta as you Know it, the people, the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta have no business with poverty.
“If today, after the struggle that we have put in, if we find ourselves in a position today, where we are sitting down to discuss the way forward and we are talking about the basis upon how to get oil investment. How will our people invest when our people are not even participants in the economy that is generated. The people controlling the oil and gas privately are outside the government”.
She added that the region equally have about 20 billion out of the 66 billion barrels of oil enjoyed by the country from the area.
Also, Ms Faith Nwadishi, still speaking on the fortunes of the Niger Delta with a new face, stated; “We need to talk about a framework for implementation. We have so long talked about the oil and gas in the Niger Delta but we have not realised that even though we have an oil and gas sector in the Niger Delta, we don’t have an oil and gas economy.”
“There is no community you will go to and see a thriving oil and gas business,” she added, describing the current situation vas an indictment on the Niger Delta.
She noted that if in 1956, about 5, 000 barrels of oil was exported and today, it stands at over 1.2 million barrels of oil per day, yet to translate to the economy that the region is looking for, “This is an indictment on all of us”, she reiterated.
Another discussant, former Provost, Federal vCollege of Education (technical), Asaba, Dr. Ignatius Nwanze Ezoem, ascribed the sufferings of the Niger Delta people to politicians, stating: “The problem of the Niger Delta, is not what is going to be said. What has been said, we ought to work with it. The Niger Delta region is a blessed region by God but today, we are still discussing about the Niger Delta. I am worried because the Niger Delta that we are talking about, has all it takes to be the Los Angeles of Nigeria.”
Ezoem who noted that the Nigerian factor puts emphasis on theory more than practicals, just as he called on the Niger Delta governors to put on their thinking caps rather than go to Abuja to beg for what rightfully belongs to the region.
Similarly, Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, pointed out that it was difficult for government at all levels to employ into the civil service, hence the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led government has diversified into skills acquisition for youths which according to him has yielded the needed results.
According to him; “It is not the responsibility of government to set up a tomato factory, it is the responsibility of the private sector to see the opportunity to set up a tomato factory. Government gives the enabling environment for businesses to strive.”
While stating that it amounts to irresponsibility for anyone to tag Delta State a red zone, adding that “Delta State is about the safest state to live in, in Nigeria today. Delta is a free zone,” the former provost pointed out that the Colonial masters caused the agitations in the Niger Delta region. According to him; “They abandoned us, took our wealth away but when our boys started going to school and understanding the intricacies of the Nigerian State that we have been pushed against the wall. These boys are merely trying to resist and the role of leadership is to talk them down not to resist”
He then vcalled on the Federal Government to do the needful by way of relocating the Nigerian Navy to where it originally ought to be, instead of siting it in Kano where there is no water.
“Let the Federal Government of Nigeria do the needful. They carried the Nigerian Navy to Kano where there is no water. To start with, remove that Naval school from Kano back to where Navy should be in the Niger Delta area. There is no technology that drives ship on land”, he said.
On his part, the Interim Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), who was represent by his Media Director, Mr. Chijioke Amu-Nnadi, stated that doing so would help to properly situate the region and get it focused on things to do that will position the region for all round development.
He noted that much had been done to reach the people and transform the lives of residents in the oil rich region, adding that the commission was established to develop, stabilise and make life good for the people of the Niger Delta region, as her dream policy after the forensic auditing, is to speed up development of the region.
He assured stakeholders of the commission’s readiness to collaborate with all players in the region to develop and implement a better economic and social development policy for the area, especially with the conclusion of the forensic audit.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Forum, Mr Emmanuel Enebeli stated that the 2021 theme became necessary as the area which produces the wealth of the nation, over the years has still not shown signs of development, as they have not gotten the true value of the black gold that is explored in their communities.
He called for new channels of development plan for the regionbthat is endowed with other resources, and a very beautiful waterfront that can be harnessed for the good of the people and condemned the continuous dependent of the governments of the region on allocation from the federation.
