State of Development in Niger Delta Scandalous, Says Osinbajo

By Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

 In an apparent shift in perception of persistent agitation in the Niger Delta by the Buhari administration, the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has stressed that nobody could rightly be proud of the very poor level of development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Osinbajo, who spoke on Monday during a fact-finding visit to Delta State, including the Ijaw Gbaramatu area in Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state, decried years of palpable neglect of the region.

He however charged the people of the Niger Delta to ensure stability of the region in order to engender speedy development of the area since violence and insecurity were inimical to any meaningful development as they create instability.

Addressing stakeholders at the conference hall of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, near Warri, during a fact-finding mission to the state, the vice-president described as unfortunate the fact that there was little evidence to justify the huge contribution of the Niger Delta to the development of Nigeria.

According to Osinbajo  “No Nigerian can be proud with the state of development in the Niger Delta; we are all beneficiaries from resources from the region. However, we cannot have instability and be able to carry out speedy development of the region.

He nevertheless urged all stakeholders to join in the effort to bring about the desired stability in the Nigeria Delta, noting that President Mohammadu Buhari was committed to the development of the region.

He said, “The issues at stake are very clear, this is not time for negotiation, it is time to act and we know the issues, we must all prepare for a future that will not be dependent in oil resources.”

“The Lagos-Calabar railway project is in the 2017 budget and when completed, it will benefit all the people of the Niger Delta, the Maritime University will come on stream, I can assure you that it is a done deal, we must do it. Ports are revenue generating, so plans are on to develop them but the issue is, how do we fund the projects?

“The President is an honest man and my coming here for this programme is clear evidence that the Niger Delta is being carried along.”

Osinbajo, during the visit to Gbaramatu Kingdom, had a closed-door meeting with the royal father, Oboro Gbaraun II Aketekpe, Agbdagba the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom and had a town hall meeting with the people of the kingdom.

Accompanied by his chief host, Governor Ifenayi Okowa, the vice-president also inspected the facilities at the controversial Maritime University, Okerenkoko.

Earlier, he paid a courtesy call on the Itsekiri monarch, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, HRM Ogiame Ikenwoli I, in his palace in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area.

Representatives of different ethnic nationalities as well as youth organizations made presentations on their expecting from the federal government at the several places visited by the vice-president.

With Dr Okowa to welcome Osinbajo, who arrived Warri via Osubi Airstrip, were the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu and other top federal and state government functionaries.