Emma Arubi
21 August, 2011, Sweetcrude, WARRI- A NON-Governmental organisation, “Good People of Nigeria” has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to remove the Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry
Elder Godsday Orubebe and the Special Adviser for Amnesty Mr. Kingsley Kuku from their respective political offices to pave way for proper development in the region.
The group also threatened to mobilize the region against these alleged “selfish political elements” in such a way that may embarrass the Federal government if urgent step is not taken to off-load them.
President of “Good people Of Nigeria”, Prince Sani Usman made the call in Warri, Delta state, during a press briefing saying that both men are lacking productive agenda.
He lamented that since their appointment, the Niger delta region has remain deprived while infrastructures has remain deplorable, and that if care is not taken the Niger delta people may have spill their blood in vain.
Prince Usman stated that the Niger delta Ministry and the Amnesty office are fallout of the struggle of the Niger delta people who sacrifice their blood and peace to draw the attention of the world and the reluctant Federal government to attend to the maginalisation and neglect of the region.
According to him, the ministry as an interventionist agency has failed in all ramification to address the problem of the region to the extent that an average Niger deltan no longer see the need for its existence, adding that “ elder Orubebe has turned the ministry into a family business while kingsley Kuku also see the amnesty office as his share of the national cake from which he dispense favour to any one he deemed necessary”.
He accused the duo of seeing their appointment as an opportunity to “settle their Ijaw cronies and god-fathers at the expense of the real Ijaw people, Isokos, Urhobos, Edos, Itsekiris and other parts of the Niger delta from Bayelsa to Akwa Ibom to Cross River ”.
“Orubebe cannot point to any project executed in Edo state, the Itsekiri areas of Delta state, up to Cross River state, the condition of the people is now worst than it was before the struggle, most of the inhabitants of the riverside communities no longer have houses to live in but our political office holders saddle with the responsibility of helping them are building mansions opening businesses outside their states while their cronies execute choice contracts”.
They also call on president to disregard the scheme by Orubebe to merge the NDDC with the Niger delta ministry saying it will only be appropriate if the Niger delta ministry is scrap and the addition resources added to the NDDC that has made tremendous impact in the region despite its limited fund.
In the words of Sani, “we ca no longer wait and fold our hands while a few people plunder the destiny of over thirty million people, it is time we take our destiny into our hand and demand that responsible and result orienting people are appointed to manage the affairs of the region”
