The Pan Niger Delta Forum of Nigeria has asked President Bola Tinubu to sign the South-South Development Commission Bill into law.
The forum described the withholding of assent to the bill as “a grave oversight, capable of creating a feeling of exclusion and dejection”.
The group also asked Tinubu to order the reversal of the Niger Delta Development Commission, to its previous name of Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, noting that the move would prevent any Commission between it and the South-South Development Commission.
PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiuwevbi Ominimini, addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, following an emergency meeting of the group’s Board of Trustees held on Wednesday, said the non-signing of the bill could impact the existent peace in the region, adding that giving assent to the bill will ensure fairness and equity.
Ominimini said,“(The BOT) subscribes to the desirability of having a Development Commission for all the six geographic zones of the country without exception and therefore views this withholding of assent as a grave oversight or error, capable of creating a feeling of exclusion and dejection on the part of the people of the South-South.
“The non-signing of this law could have a negative impact on the present state of peace which exists in the Niger Delta and the favourable environment which it creates for the upsurge in the production of oil and gas in the country.
“PANDEF BOT, therefore, calls Mr President to remedy the oversight which has resulted in the delay to assent to this bill and sign it without delay as this is only fair and just manner of treating the south-south zone as bonafide citizens of this country who deserve not to be discriminated against.”
Ominimini also noted that although the Niger Delta had a definite geographic boundary, membership had extended to include other oil-producing states such as Abia, Imo and Ondo states while calling for the NDDC, established by law in 2000, to be renamed to its former name of Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission.
“The meeting therefore strongly recommended that the Niger Delta Development Commission, which could become a misnomer, should revert to its earlier designation as Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission.
“This will distinguish it and prevent any confusion between it and the newly created South-South Development Commission, all of which are directed at creating inclusive national development irrespective of their production of natural resources, hence their location within the Ministry of Regional Development, which is ably manned by Abubakar Momoh, in whom we are all pleased,” he said.
PANDEF also asked Tinubu to “appoint sons and daughters of the South-South, many of whom are ably qualified, into top positions within the national oil company, NNP” describing as regrettable, the recent decision by the NNPCL to join some private investors to develop five new LNG, CNG and LP complexes in Kogi State with none in the Niger Delta.
