Tinubu to South-south Monarchs: We’ll Address Devt, Environmental Degradation of Your Region

•Says he’s working hard to revive nation’s battered economy

•Royal fathers want succour for their long neglected people

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has assured traditional rulers from the South-south geopolitical zone that his government is committed to addressing their concerns over development and environmental degradation. 

Tinubu gave the assurance on Tuesday at State House, Abuja, during a meeting with the South-South Monarchs Forum, led by Chairman of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, and Vice-chairman of South-South Monarchs Forum, His Royal Majesty, Major-General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd).

Tinubu told the royal fathers that his administration was diligently working, both domestically and internationally, to strengthen Nigeria’s approach to climate change, environmental restoration, and infrastructure development, while ensuring security and stability in the Niger Delta.

While lauding the monarchs for their understanding approach to his government’s ongoing economic reforms, particularly, the removal of the fuel subsidy, the president promised that Nigerians would soon enjoy the benefits of these tough, yet necessary, decisions.

According to him, “We are working to revive the economy from the damage of several years. We seek your support, prayers, and understanding, and I am glad that the vice chairman of the forum served in an organisation where we need intelligence to operate.

“You (the traditional institution) will be the source of the intelligence we need for the holistic development of our country, and anytime you need to tell us something, do not hesitate to reach out to this office. I will take on all of your concerns, and I will address each of them one by one.

“We cannot underestimate your contributions to the peace and stability of this country. Continue to uphold us in your prayers and in talking to our youths to keep faith with the country because light is already visible at the end of the tunnel.”

Earlier in his remarks, Mujakperuo appealed to Tinubu to follow up on all development efforts in the region to be sure that progress was tangible to the people.

The monarch stated, “Mr. President, you know the problems of our region, as an expert with experience in the energy industry. We see you working hard to solve our problems, and we are comforted that you have pledged to take on our concerns and bring a final solution to them.”

Speaking with newsmen after the visit, Mujakperuo canvassed presidential intervention to provide succour for the people of the oil-rich region. He lamented the predicament of the region, despite being the golden goose that lays the golden eggs.

He said, “In the region, we produce, we give resources to the country and, yet, we are suffering in the midst of plenty.

“There are a lot of things that we said he should do for us, like the East West Road that has been abandoned for so many years and most of the roads in the South-south are not motorable anymore, you cannot have access to Abuja. From Port Harcourt to Ana is not passable, from Benin to Uromi, to Okene are not passable.

“We also felt like he should try and link up the Itakpe railway to Abuja, so that right from Warri we can safely drive to Abuja.

“We feel that if those ports are revived it will bring employment for our people and it will improve the economy of this country.

“We just have to catalogue our sufferings and what we want the president to do for us, so that we can feel that we are part of this country.

“The president said he will look at our request and he will do the needful.”

Commenting on the visit by the traditional rulers, Minister of Niger Delta Development, Abubakar Momoh, said, “These are the owners of the region, the more you engage them they will talk to the youths and those who are involved. But when you keep them away it becomes a problem because they will not have that sense of belonging of continuing to talk to the people and, above all, is also to look at the infrastructure of the region.

“When we engage the youths in entrepreneurship training and the rest of them it can also step down the wave of theft.

“The door should be opened to the people like this because they are the custodian of the peace of Niger Delta.

“The meeting that has happened today, I can regard as a huge success.”