The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has expressed displeasure over the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, saying the development may lead to heightened youth restiveness in the region.
MOSOP, a social movement organization representing the indigenous people of River State in the South-South region of Nigeria stated that the government failed to assess if the scrapped ministry achieved the purpose of establishment or not pointing out that due diligence was not carried out before the announcement.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government scrapped the Niger Delta Ministry and replaced it with the newly created Ministry of Regional Development.
Reacting on the development, President of MOSOP, Prof. Olu Anda-Wai Egosu, who spoke at the weekend in Lagos during a reception for MOSOP leaders by the Ogoni Welfare Association (OWA), lamented that the development might further drag the region backwards.
Egosu reiterated that the government would have engaged critical stakeholders in the region before scrapping the ministry, stressing that the disbandment of the ministry while it was yet to achieve its mandate was unnecessary.
On his part, a former President MOSOP, Dr. Legborsi Piagbara, said that there was supposed to be a timeline for affirmative action.
He said affirmative action world over has timelines adding that this may lead to the South South not measuring up with the South West, adding that the ministry was supposed to have a clear mandate to be able to achieve the goals for which it was created.
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Pyagbara queried the government to know if the disbanded ministry had achieved its mandates.
“I don’t know the timeline for affirmative action on the establishment of the ministry. At what point did the government meet with the stakeholders to know how developed the region has been. Stopping it now if the purpose of the creation has not been achieved then scrapping it is unnecessary, the ex MOSOP President reiterated.
OWA Chairman of OWA, Engr. Migah Nwinmene expressed satisfaction over the planning process and the actual hosting of the MOSOP executives, maintaining that the Ogoni course was paramount to the association and that plans were ongoing to further develop the environment.
He noted that Ogoni nation was being marginalized in Rivers State politics, but added that with proper strategies by the indigenous people with like minds, there were indications that the table will turn around positively sooner or later.
