Niger Delta ethnic nationalities demand devolution of power

By Deborah Coker

Abuja, Sept. 6, 2024

The Ethnic Nationalities of the Nigerian Delta region, has called for the devolution of power from the centre to the states in tandem with global best practice of true federalism.

This is contained in the communique after a meeting of the Conference of President-Generals of the ethnic nationalities, held at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

The communique, signed by Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Chairman, and Dr Chris Akanni, Asst Secretary of the group, was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday.

The forum noted that devolution of power had become very imperative in view of the present political structure or arrangement in the country, which they described as untenable, unsustainable and faulty.

“Considering the present political structure and lingering socio-political crises in the country, there is the urgent need for the devolution of power and restructuring.

“The restructuring should be laid on a foundation of justice, devolution of power and resource control among the component units of the Federation through fiscal discipline,” they said.

They also noted that restructuring should be done in an environment devoid of endemic corruption.

The participants further argued that each region should have the autonomy to legislate and make decisions within its own sphere of influence without any undue political influence or interference from the centre.

“The meeting is primarily summoned to examine the state of the Nigerian Nation and the South South Region, against the backdrop of the lingering socio-political crises and the ever-whelming poverty rate amid huge economic resources in the country.

“Aside from mass poverty, which has subjected millions of Nigerians to extreme misery and disillusionment, huge and mind-blowing corruption, insecurity and wastages in public service have become cardinal concerns of the citizenry

“We therefore harmonised the positions taken by the South South/Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities including the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), and the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought.

“Others are Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU), Oron Development Union (ODU), the Ogbako Ikwerre Convention (OIC), etc in response to the recent call for MEMORANDA and Proposals for Constitutional Amendments by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the group said.

The forum noted that this would go a long way in planting the country on a pedestal that would ultimately make it provide the basic necessities of life to Nigerians.

They also said that the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta region support the creation of Regional Development Commissions to cater to peculiar problems of the geo-political zones in the country.

“Therefore, as a matter of equity and justice, we call on the National Assembly not to hesitate to legislate on the South-South Development Commission Bill before it, which seeks the creation of the South-South Development Commission.

The Niger Delta Development Commission as presently constituted is a pan-Nigeria intervention Agency comprising states such as Imo and Abia in the South East Region; Ondo in the South west Region among others that are outside the area known as the Niger Delta.

“Hence the need to rename the NDDC as Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission” (OMPADEC).

“The old name OMPADEC, be reintroduced to accommodate any state that may, in the future, emerge as an Oil, gas, and mineral-producing State.

“This is is to avert the unacceptable evil where states like Imo and Abia belong to both the South East Development Commission and the NDDC, or Ondo State belonging to the NDDC and at the same time, a soon-to-be-established Southwest Development Commission (SWEDEC) while the South-South Region is confined to a generally owned Development Commission, the NDDC,” they added.

They further said that the present NDDC Act and other extant laws governing the agency should be amended to carry the new responsibility to the challenges of pan-Nigerian burdens of the oil-bearing communities.