Since President Bola Tinubu rejigged his cabinet yesterday, reactions have not ceased. One of such is over the “scrapping” of the Niger Delta Ministry.
However, the Federal Government has explained that the Ministry was not scrapped. Just renamed.
In fact, elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said Niger Delta people would not accept the move.
He urged President Tinubu to explain to the people of the Niger Delta why he scrapped the ministry.
Furthermore, Chief Clark alleged that the federal government was planning to use the resources of the South-South zone to fund other zonal development commissions.
Cabinet reshuffle
Like a whirlwind, it was reported, that the President’s much-expected cabinet reshuffle came to light yesterday. And when the dust settled, six ministers lost their seats, and 10 were redeployed.
President Tinubu, as part of efforts to accelerate his Renewed Hope Agenda, also penciled down seven names for ministerial appointment. The list include Amb. Bianca Ojukwu, widow of late Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
The names of Bianca and other six ministerial nominees have been forwarded to the National Assembly for confirmation.
The president also appointed Shehu Dikko as chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC.
Dikko will take charge of the activities and programmes of the defunct Ministry of Sports Development, which has been scrapped alongside the Ministry of Niger Delta Development.
The President equally appointed two former ministers under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. Read the complete story HERE.
FG explains Niger Delta Ministry
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was renamed Ministry of Regional Development.
He spoke to newsmen after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting yesterday, in Abuja.
Also, the minister of the newly-created Ministry of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, who was in charge of the former Ministry of Niger Delta Development, clarified that the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was still in place.
He also explained that the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was renamed and given a greater responsibility under the Ministry of Regional Development.
He said the new ministry was created to supervise all the agencies under the Ministry of Niger Delta Development and other regional commissions in the country.
He said: “For our people over there in the Niger Delta region, I would like them to know that, that has not removed anything from them.
“The NDDC is still very much in place, which is still under the Ministry of Regional Development and all other such agencies are there. It’s just a question of change of nomenclature.”
He advised that nobody from the Niger Delta region should feel that the Ministry of Niger Delta has been scrapped, and no longer exists.
“All the structures and everything about the Niger Delta remains. It’s just a change of nomenclature and, of course, expansion of activities of the ministry.
“So I think it’s something worthy of commendation.”
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