Stakeholders brainstorm on solution to N’Delta’s underdevelopment

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe

National Council on Niger Delta has said the underdevelopment of the  region is a source of great concern to its members  despite many measures to address the problems.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, said this  during the stakeholders’ conference and  first  meeting of the council in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State  on Monday.

He lamented   that  the region still lacked a development strategy that was consistent in vision and coherent in implementation process  despite the  efforts of  past and present governments.

Orubebe  said, “You will agree with me that for too long, the people of the Niger Delta have suffered from a development paradox- endemic poverty in the midst of abundant human and natural resources.

“Successive Nigerian governments had taken  a series of measures to address this development paradox. However, in spite of the well-intentioned efforts of the past and present governments, the region still lacks a development strategy.”

He stated that the Goodluck Jonathan  administration  was  determined to ensure that  every stakeholder worked together to  end   poverty in  the Niger Delta  by promoting investment in physical infrastructure, basic social services and institutional development of the region.

The minister added that the   government was aware of  the development challenges of the region, including its  past plans for development.

“What has become obvious is that these previous development planning efforts have not adequately addressed the region’s needs due to lapses in implementation, insufficient coordination and the absence of a coherent framework,” he said.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, said the Niger Delta needed peace, unity and development.

Represented by his deputy, Valerie Ebe, Akpabio stated that though all parts of the country required development, the Niger Delta   needed  it most because it  had suffered environmental pollution as well as the  degradation and destruction of  its ecosystem through oil drilling.