Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, has bemoaned the age long neglect of the Niger Delta region by the successive administrations in the country, stressing the need for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other agencies of the government to focus more on the region by embarking on projects that will impact on the lives of the people.
He said the region particularly Bayelsa State is in hurry for development and this has been topmost priority of the present administration in the state.
Also, he called on all Niger Delta leaders to close ranks and rededicate themselves to the development of the region.
Dickson made this known while receiving the management team of the NDDC led by its Chairman, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba, in his office.
He noted that the development of the region is not commensurate with its Contribution to the socio-economic growth of the country.
According to him, the ancient community of Oloibiri where the crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity is now a shadow of itself.
Also, most of the international oil companies operating in the state neither have their offices or pay taxes to state government.
The governor said these narratives have to change and in order to achieve this all the critical stakeholders, including interventionist agencies, have major roles to play.
He said it was worrisome that privileged Bayelsans and by extension, those from other Niger Delta states who occupied and are still occupying various political offices would prefer to concern themselves with mundane things rather than the development of the region.
Dickson, therefore, charged the new NDDC board not to follow same path as the Niger Delta region is highly in need of development, lamenting that over 60 years after oil was first discovered in Bayelsa most of the communities with abundant resources are still not connected by road to the state capital.
