•Senate President Godswill Akpabio (C)
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has said that the people of the Niger Delta had decided to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue in office beyond 2027 because of the projects that the administration has brought to the Niger Delta region.
Akpabio spoke over the weekend at the grand finale of the 25th anniversary of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State as part of the activities to round off the week-long celebration.
The event had in attendance former President Goodluck Jonathan, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Administrator of Rivers State, Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas (Rtd), lawmakers, traditional rulers, ministers, and key figures from across the Niger Delta.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media/Communication, Anietie Ekong and copy made available to The Frontier, quoted Senator Akpabio to have said: “In the past the Niger Delta was used as the goose that produced the golden egg with nothing to show for it. Today President Tinubu has set up an Environmental Sciences University in Ogoni land to take care of the environment which had been degraded as a result of oil pollution.
“He has also set up a Maritime University, signed it into an Act of Parliament in Okerenkoko in Delta State. He has given us several tertiary institutions in Agriculture, Technology and lots of others. So it is not only in terms of appointments but various projects.
“This is the region that produces the wealth of the nation. We have the right to choose who manages our resources. So people should not think that anybody can just come and become the president without consultation with the people of the Niger Delta.
“We the people of the Niger Delta have assessed President Tinubu and have found him fit to continue in office beyond 2027. So let the people who are conspiring against President Tinubu hear this. They did it before and conspired to remove our son, President Goodluck Jonathan.
“This time around the entire Niger Delta region has decided to speak with one voice. And we are telling the president ‘on your mandate we stand.’ No conspiracy formed against this government that has recognised the Niger Delta shall prosper,” he said.
Senator Akpabio decried the high turnover of management team of the NDDC which he said had slowed the pace of development of the oil-rich region.
He however commended the present team led by the Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, for adhering to the vision of the founding fathers of the interventionist agency by embarking on projects that have impacted positively on the lives of the people of the region.
According to Senator Akpabio, the frequent management change, created endless cycles where new leaders were removed before finishing projects, leaving thousands of initiatives abandoned and wasting billions meant for development.
“There were many reasons we have had so much problems in NDDC. Part of it was leadership tussle. In the Niger Delta region, we have what we call ‘periwinkle politics.’ This is politics where everybody bears the same head. Nobody wants to wait for his turn. Everybody feels that he should be there and not the other person.
“So there was always this conspiratorial situation. Each management in the NDDC would conspire against themselves and of course the staff will assist them to quarrel and shortly after they will sack the management. And one of them would become the acting Managing Director,” he said.
Akpabio recounted how the Commission for over 20 years could not complete her headquarters building until he became the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and gave a marching order to the Commission to complete the long abandoned project.
According to Akpabio, the Commission left behind over 14,700 abandoned projects because regime change brought with it new projects.
He said President Tinubu had discovered that incessant change of management was inimical to the development of the region hence the reason that the Federal Government had found it worthy for the administration of Ogboku to complete its tenure. “I salute the present management,” he said.
Akpabio commended the stability under the current leadership of Dr Ogbuku, urging that the commission must break away from endless cycles of sabotage and focus on continuity so that development projects can be completed.
Speaking in the same vein, former President Jonathan commended President Tinubu for continuing with the present board of the Commission and noted that this will engender sustainable development of the region.
President Tinubu acknowledged the support of the Niger Delta region and said as the pioneer development Commission, the NDDC remained pivotal to the region’s economic growth and material well-being of the people.
The president said his administration’s legacy project, the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, will complement the East-West Road and foster trade and connectivity across the region.
