Niger Delta Stakeholders Commend  Buhari for Appointment of Umana as Minister

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Elders, youth groups and stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have commended President Muhammadu Buhari on the appointment of Mr. Umana O. Umana as the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs.

The group said despite the huge challenges before the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) respectively, they believe and confident that Mr. Umana possesses the ability and capacity to preside and reposition the affairs of the ministry and the commission for the betterment of the region.

The Niger Delta Stakeholders, through its Secretary – General, Chief Anthony Loveday, stated that the confidence reposed in the  minister is due to his qualification as an astute administrator, financial expert, technocrat and a firm believer in the need to develop and empower the people of the region.

The statement called on the new Minister to carve a niche for himself by reviewing past ministerial briefs handed to him and take a sound decision on various issues affecting the people of the region including the completion of the East-West road, the review of various infrastructural development projects in the nine states of the region and the proper repositioning of the NDDC.

They said due to the few months left for the terminal date of the Buhari administration from office, the minister should create a template on which the next administration will act upon resumption and immediately set up a substantive Board for the NDDC.

The statement, however, called on the minister to reason with President Buhari on the need to immediately constitute an Interim Management Committee to pilot the affairs of the NDDC pending the nomination of the substantive board by the next administration in less than a year.

The group also urged the Minister and the President to urgently constitute an interim management committee with new projects awarding powers to enable them pilot the affairs of the NDDC in order to facilitate the development of the region.

They equally want the incoming interim management committee to embark on training and empowerment programmes meant to alleviate the sufferings of the people in the Niger Delta region.