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Niger Delta Fund Initiative: Niger Delta summons meeting of ethnic leaders
Daily Independent Online
Monday, September 01, 2003Odudu Okpongete
Daily Independent, PHParticipants at a peace summit and development in the Niger Delta at the weekend mandated President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Kimse Okoko to summon a meeting of the 22 ethnic nationalities in the region.
The meeting, according to the participants, is neccesitated by President Olusegun Obasanjo's move to unilaterally review the funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and other pressing issues.
Chaired by Senator Inatimi Rufus-Spiff, representing Bayelsa East senatorial district on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the summit raised alarm over Obasanjo's disposition to NDDC which he set up to develop the region, stating that attempts to amend the law establishing the commission through the backdoor is unconstitutional.
The summit also expressed disgust over the spate of abandoned federal governemnt projects in the Niger Delta describing, it as a prove of the president's disregard for the region.
Rufus-Spiff who spoke on behalf of elected representatives from the Niger Delta said the National Assembly members have resolved more than ever before, to oppose any action deemed to be against the interest of the region. He said both the members and PDP chieftains from the region are meeting often to prepare the stand of the Niger Delta on issues affecting their survival.
Okoko who delivered the Keynote address on the topic: "Niger Delta: pathway to growth and sustainable develpment in Nigeria," said the NDDC was never designed to serve the general interests of the Niger Delta but few pliticians who are ready to succumb to the wishes of the President.
He described NDDC as a failure in its mission to develop the region. "NDDC cannot serve the needs of the people because they have embarked on cheap projects such as deworming, building of classroom blocks, among others," he said, explaining that the solution to the conflicts in the Niger Delta lies in a national conference.
Okoko however, criticized the recommendation of The Patriots, a group of elders pushing for the conference, that representation should be pegged at 70 for every zone, insisting that it must be based on equal representation for every ethnic group.
He said much of the problems in the region are externally induced but regretted that the people of the Niger Delta are not also united to fight their own cause."I have made attempts to convene a meeting of the 22 ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta but it didn't succeed", Okoko said.
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