Niger Delta Civil Society Responds to the new Niger Delta Ministry

WARRI, Nigeria, 29 October 2008. Over 40 participants representing civil society organisations throughout the Niger Delta met today in Warri, Delta State, to discuss the multiple challenges and opportunities that face the newly established Niger Delta Ministry.

In order to enlist the support and build the confidence of the people and communities of the Niger Delta a clear and transparent mechanism needs to be put in place to independently monitor the activities, plans, programmes and budget of the Niger Delta Ministry. The civil society groups support the development of a Niger Delta policy and the implementation of strategic short, medium and long term plans that are linked to time-lined targets.

“I welcome this initiative of the Federal government to set up the Ministry of the Niger Delta and we urge the President to muster enough political courage to ensure that the ministry succeeds in addressing the development challenges in the Niger Delta” said Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, International Advocacy Officer at the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).

In examining the formulation of the sub committees of the Niger Delta Technical Committee the group expressed disappointment that the state of the Niger Delta environment and specifically climate change, gas flaring and deforestation are not directly and specifically addressed by the Technical Committee framework. These issues need to be considered seriously by the Niger Delta Ministry as they directly contribute to instability in the region.

“As a CSO representative from the Niger Delta region,” Gordon Abiama said “we shall be keeping a close watch on the operation of the Niger Delta ministry to ensure that it does not go the same way as other Niger Delta institutional interventions that have failed.”

To meet the expectations of the people the Niger Delta Ministers should come from the Niger Delta and the ministry must be led and staffed by dedicated and technically proficient individuals largely from the Niger Delta; quick and efficient interventions are required and skills will be required to execute the plans and programmes. Further, in order for the Ministry to be successful political will must be demonstrated from the top – the President; and achieving aims and goals requires the cooperation of the National Assembly, other federal Departments and Agencies, the Niger Delta state governments and Local Government Authorities.

The meeting addressed the many challenges, issues and priorities that the Niger Delta ministry will face as well as the necessity to frame these issues within a strategic plan that can address the long term developmental challenges while also achieving quick short term objectives that can help illustrate the capacity of the ministry to deliver on its mandate. A report from this Niger Delta CSO meeting will be published within the next two days.

“Justice brings peace”, stated Efik Surveyor from HOME, Port Harcourt, “and the ministry must ensure that it reflects the demands and aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta”. Niger Delta Civil Society looks forward to publication of the Report of the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta and expects – indeed demands – a formal consultation in order to ensure the views of civil society are adequately represented within the work-plan and objectives of the ministry and the means by which it intends to operate.

The key resolutions from today’s meeting include:

Infrastructure development should be the corner stone of the ministry;

Economic empowerment through specialised micro financing;

Human capital development;

A substantial housing programme should be undertaken with short, medium and long term targets;

And that the NDDC should not be merged with the new ministry.

This Niger Delta CSO Roundtable was convened and chaired by the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in cooperation with the Niger Delta Budget Monitoring and Transparency Network and with support from the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

Signed by

David Ugolor, ANEEJ, Benin City, Edo

Innocent Adjenughure, Institute for Dispute Resolution, Ekpan, Uvwie, Delta

Edem O. Edem, Agbremo for Development, Calabar, Cross River

Legborsi Saro Pyagbara, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Rivers

Ekanem U. Inyang, Applicants Welfare & National Development Centre, Akwa-Ibom

Gordon Abiama, Afric Centre for Geo-Classical Economics, Bayelsa

ENDS

For further information and requests for interviews please contact: David Ugolor, Executive Director, Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), telephone: 080 5308 0864 , email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .