The Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), has called for the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, saying that the existence of the ministry has not impacted positively to the development of the Niger Delta region.
MOSIEND President, Kennedy Tonjo West, made the call while speaking on a radio programme monitored in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
West particularly accused the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of playing politics with the development of the region, through the ministry.
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He said: “We want the Ministry of Niger Delta to be scrapped. NDDC is a stakeholders’ driven institution. It is a democratic representation of the people of Niger Delta.
“Therefore, checks and balances and monitoring will be very effective. There is the need to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta and leave NDDC to function optimally.
“We are advocating that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) should still be under the Presidency because in less than two years, we have suffered gross injustice in NDDC. The NDDC has more connect with us than the Niger Delta Ministry.”
The MOSIEND leader also called for the review of the 3% host community fund approved by the National Assembly for oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.
West stated that 3% was not enough to compensate host communities for the environmental degradation taking place in their area as a result of oil exploration activities.
He added: “Right now, nothing is happening in the Niger Delta. I give you for instance, we just had the PIA. If you consider the PIA, you will find out that the Niger Delta people are still not comfortable with the 3% allocated to us.”
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