N’Delta Needs N1trn To Meet Dev Agenda

The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs requires at least N1trillion to effectively address infrastructure challenges in the region, its Minister, Elder Godsday Orubebe, said.

Orubebe said this in Abuja yesterday while fielding questions from newsmen at the ongoing 2013 Ministerial Platform organised by the Federal Ministry of Information.

He said that the present budgetary allocation to the ministry could only address a few infrastructure-related challenges in the Niger Delta.

He said that the ministry had received just over N200 billion in the past few years and would require an improvement to fast-track development in the Niger Delta.

“If you ask me, I will tell you I will need over a trillion naira for this period but over the period what we have gotten is a little above N200 billion, that is what we have been using for the past two years. ’’

On the challenge of disruption of ongoing works in the region by youths, the minister said that the ministry was making efforts to eliminate the trend.

Orubebe said that he has held several meetings with groups and youth leaders from communities in the region to find solutions to the problem.

He appealed to youths in the region embrace peace and give government the opportunity to provide democracy dividends to members of their communities.

In his closing remark for the day, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, urged youths in the region to shun violence and embrace development.

He said that no meaningful development could take place in the region in an atmosphere devoid of peace.

Maku, therefore, urged youths in the area not to compromise peace for anything that would not foster unity in the region.

He reiterated his earlier remark that government was on course in redefining the history of development in the Niger Delta .

“Indeed it is my belief that given the present level of funding for the East-West road, by the grace of God that road will be delivered it is the most strategic road in the Niger Delta and it is going to open up the entire region to development.

“ For the youths in the Niger Delta, peace is the only way you can develop, so those of us who are living in peace in our communities, we must never take it for granted, so it is very important that the issue of peace is pursued by all.“

He called on ministries, agencies and parastatal to create a data bank on job losses and creations and to make them available for public use on a monthly basis.

Maku said that publishing vacancies in government on monthly basis would address some of the criticisms of government about job racketeering.

Our correspondent reports that ministers of Labour and Productivity, Niger Delta Affairs and other top officials featured on the second day of the forum.