Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, on Wednesday declared that President Bola Tinubu’s footprint in the Niger Delta region will discourage the youths from the area from joining any national protest.
He also submitted that nobody including the President would say protest is a sin, but the consequences of the action may not be good for economic development.
Speaking to newsmen on the planned national protest over hunger and bad governance, Momoh stressed that the intervention of President Tinubu in the provision of infrastructure across the nation and especially in Niger Delta region has been unprecedented.
His words: “To start from my end in the Niger Delta Region, I think the President has done a lot for which I don’t think any person who is from the Niger Delta area will deem it necessary to come out and say he’s protesting against bad governance.
“The number of projects that have been executed in the South South region and particularly the Niger Delta region within this one year cannot be compared with what has happened previously in the last four years. For instance recently, you watched us on the screen commissioning projects in the Niger Delta area.
“We are very lucky to have the person of President Tinubu that is deeply committed towards the overall development of the country irrespective of the area.
“We know that a number of projects are going on in this country, projects that were never attempted by previous administrations despite the fact that there is lean resources in government now. I am surprise and I wonder if you see what is going on in this administration.
“And what we have observed is that it appears the majority of Nigerians and particularly the youths they are not very much conversant with a number of programs put in place to alleviate the suffering of the youths of this very country.”
According to him, there are quite a number of welfare programs that are ongoing in the region and that the Ministry embarked on empowerment and welfare program for the first time in the history of the Ministry.
“Today a number of women and youths have benefitted reasonably and today too Mr President has also graciously approved the release of funds to address the flooded area of the Niger Delta and also palliatives for the people of the Niger Delta.
“In addition to what he has done for the State government you are aware that a number of relief materials have been sent through various state governors to the people of Nigeria,” he said.
The Minister went further: “On the issue of protest, I don’t think there is anybody including the President of this country who would think protesting is a sin but what we are saying is that in the name of protest, do not come and cause mayhem or destroy the properties of innocent citizens, do not come and cause mayhem because the freedom you have to protest has a limit you do not have freedom to protest and cause destruction
“So the youths, the country is your own, the future is your own. If you destroy what you will live upon in the future then it becomes a serious problems
“I will appeal to the youth of this country to take advantage of the numerous youth programmes Initiated by this government, take advantage of them.”
Momoh also hinted that his ministry would soon start a probe of the activities of the Nigerian Contents Development and Management Board (NCDMB).
The Minister said the board gets some money from IOCs as stipulated in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the ministry would be interested in supervising it’s activities.
He said “We also have a certain percentage they pay to Nigerian Contents Development and Management Board and that of course is a board, in a very short time too, we will begin to ask questions as the Minister of Niger Delta who’s charged with the responsibilities of overseeing what they are doing because by the Act establishing it, it’s supposed to be looking into the local contents of what these oil majors are doing”.
Deji Elumoye
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