By Babatunde Cole
The Niger Delta area of the country is set for a remarkable development under the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
This optimism is strengthened by the exemplary zeal, drive, and innovation that the new Minister of Niger Delta Development, Engnr Abubakar Momoh, FNSE., is putting into running the affairs of the strategic ministry since he assumed office last year.
Momoh, who will clock one year in office as the Niger Delta Development Minister on August 22, 2024, assumed office on August 22 last year following his appointment by President Tinubu two days earlier.
He is the first Minister of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development. Before his appointment, the Ministry was known as the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
It was created as the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) on September 10, 2008 “to promote and coordinate policies for the development, peace and security of the Niger Delta Region.”
Besides, it was “to serve as the primary vehicle for the execution of Government’s plans and programmes for rapid socio-economic development of the Region. It is also expected to formulate and execute plans, programmes, and other initiatives as well as coordinate the activities of Agencies, Communities, Donors, and other relevant Stakeholders involved in the development of the Niger Delta Region.”
A chemical engineer, and well-rounded prominent politician, Momoh has a wealth of experience in administration, legislation, and human relations. Besides, he is a sympathetic man with a listening ear. These qualities make him the right candidate to meaningfully address the monumental developmental challenges confronting the people of the Niger Delta area of this country, which accumulated through inadequate attention by the authorities over the years.
He has youth and women empowerment, mutual relationship with stakeholders, fostering mutual understanding among community leaders and people, environmental protection, projects inspection and completion, engagement with traditional rulers and community leaders, comprehensive infrastructure development, local communities empowerment, instituting transparent resource management, guaranteeing environmental sustainability, fostering conflict resolution, and advancing inclusivity as parts of the major planks of his objectives in the ministry.
Since he assumed office, he has initiated strings of activities that will soon change the narratives in the Niger Delta area spanning nine states of the Federation.
Recognising youth empowerment as a major tool for addressing the inherited worrisome unemployment and restiveness in the region, with the attendant danger these vices pose to the nation’s socioeconomic setup, Momoh has embarked on innovative programmes to reverse the situation.
Other major problems the people in the region have been battling with over the years include environmental degradation and pollution occasioned by oil spills, gas flaring arising from the activities of oil-producing companies, erosion, and sea incursions that have submerged many communities in the region.
Thus the minister has taken environmental protection involving addressing issues related to pollution, erosion, and other environmental challenges, also as a major plank of the duties assigned to him by the President.
In carrying out his duties, Momoh has been collaborating with the state governments in the region over issues of development.
Besides, he has gone on inspection of the states in the region and has pledged to collaborate with them on the development of the entire Niger Delta region.
Following is the list of the projects inspected by the Minister and his team in the last one year of his administration at the Ministry of Niger Delta Development:
Rivers State (1)
- Inspection of Onne Free Zone Nchianfam-Imo-River Road;
- Inspection of East-West Road Section 111 A (Eleme Junction);
Bayelsa State (2)
- Inspection of Sandfilling for Housing Estate in Odi, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA;
- Inspection of Integrated Oil Palm Processing Plant, Adagbabiri Community;
- Inspection of Canalization of Onopa Canal 4km, Yenagoa;
Delta State (3)
- Inspection of Orhorhor – Odonbro Kpakama – Bomadi Road Phase 1, (30km) in Bomadi LGA;
- Inspection of the Oil Palm Processing Plant at Ogwuachuku LGA;
- Inspection of Youth Skill Acquisition Centre, Ibusa, Oshimili North LGA, Delta North Senatorial District;
Edo State (4)
- Inspection of Benin – Abraka Road Phase 1 (25km);
- Inspection of One-Stop Youth Centre in Benin City, Oredo LGA;
- Inspection of Otro–Afize Road, Owan East;
Cross River State (5)
- Inspection of Internal Road in Akun Ogua Community, Calabar Municipality, (19km);
- Inspecting of State Office in Calabar Municipality;
- Inspection of Erosion Control Works at 13 Brigade, Calabar, Cross River State (Phase 1);
Akwa Ibom (6)
- Inspection of Skills Acquisition Centre at Iwuchang, Ibano LGA;
- Inspection of State Office in Akwa Ibom State;
Abia (7)
- Inspection of Ntigha Umuokpara Amuzu Akanu Ohanze, Isiahla Road, Obugwa LGA, Phase 1 (2.5 km);
- Inspection of Land Reclamation and Erosion Control at Ogudu Asa, Phase 1;
Imo (8)
- Inspection of Okpvala-Igwuruta Road, Ngor-Okpvala LGA;
- Inspection of Health Centre at Oboama Enyiogugu, Ezena-Chige Autonomous Community;
- Inspection of Elolo-Owerri Road (35.75 km);
- Inspection of Okpvala-Igwuruto Road, Ngor/Okpvala LGA;
Ondo (9)
- Inspection of Ita-Ogbolu Utility Centre, Akure North LGA;
- Inspection of Iju Town Hall in Akure North; and
- Inspection of Owo-Ute Road, Owo LGA.
Momoh seeks the cooperation of relevant stakeholders to provide an enabling environment for infrastructural development, economic empowerment of youths and women, and access to wealth, guaranteeing lasting peace and prosperity in the region.
Moreover, he is engaging with traditional rulers. He has also been engaging with traditional rulers in the region to discuss and discover traditional perspectives on development and community engagement.
His style of leadership which emphasises mutual understanding among the leaders and the people has led to a significant drop in the usual agitation and protests against the prevailing harsh conditions, most of which were usually bloody, that used to rock states in the region.
Also, by prioritising necessary infrastructural development to positively impact the lives of the people of the region, his administration has been promoting peace and stability in the region, which undoubtedly used to be the Country’s most volatile zone.
Indeed a most remarkable achievement of the Momoh administration is the restoration and sustenance of peace and stability in the Niger Delta region, the proverbial golden goose laying Nigeria’s golden eggs for the well-being of all.
Specifically, the Minister’s novel policies and initiatives, which stress the promotion of dialogue and mutual understanding among various stakeholders before reaching decisions, have combined to discover and tackle the fundamental causes of conflicts, agitation, protests, and grievances in society.
These have contributed immensely to reducing conflicts, grievances, agitation, and protests. They have built an atmosphere of trust, honesty, and cooperation over distrust of the past, and have contributed to building and sustaining the peace being witnessed in the region since Momoh assumed office last year.
The vital records of the Minister’s activities within the first year in office of his administration include but are not limited to the following:
- Commissioning of Electricity at Ode-Erinje in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State;
- Commissioning of a 27.5 km Road in Bayelsa State;
- Holding of the NDDC.’s Retreat at Akwa-Ibom where the Top Management of the NDDC signed a performance bond. with the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Development;
- Hosting of the National Council on Niger Delta that took place at Asaba, the Capital city of Delta State, this year with all the Governors in attendance;
- Executive Briefing on the Proposed Ferry Transportation to link all the States of the Niger Delta Region;
- Supervision of the recently concluded Medical Outreach undertaken by the NDDC;
- Construction of Ntigha Umuopara Amuzu Akanu Ohanze Isiahla Road in Obingwa LGA, phase 1 (2.5km);
- Land Reclamation and Erosion Control Project at Ogudu Asa Phase 1.
- Ensuring prompt payment of Contractors’ money;
- Working to ensure that all abandoned projects of the NDDC. and the Ministry are resuscitated, and thus become things of the past;
- Working in collaboration with other Ministries, e.g. the Ministry of Environment to alleviate the untold hardship to which the good people of the Region have been exposed over the years;
- Holding of Empowerment programmes in the Niger Delta Region was carried out this year with the participants smiling home with cash and different types of Materials to enhance their prosperity;
- In addition, Trycircles and other befitting Materials were given out to the beneficiaries from the Region in the form of Empowerment.
Momoh, a former legislator of the Edo State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003, and former member of the House of Representatives for Etsako Federal Constituency, in Edo State, is from Imiegba, North Ibie, in Etsako East LGA of Edo State.
He served between 1999 and 2003 as a member of the Edo State House of Assembly. He represented the Etsako Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007. He was reelected into the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015.
He changed his party in 2019 to contest under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Edo North Senatorial seat but lost the election. He later returned to his party the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Remarkably, the Minister’s leadership style, which is also underpinned by a passionate dedication to building a harmonious atmosphere of mutual understanding among leaders and the people has engendered a deep sense of unity, harmony, cordiality, and cooperation among the Niger Delta people and their leaders, who, for the first time in many years, are arguably enjoying a robust relationship built on mutual trust and respect.
Moreover, the zero tolerance for agitation policy of the Momoh administration through timely and effective address of people’s grievances and concerns before ballooning to unmanageable crises, has reduced tension and helped in sustaining the peace pervading the Niger Delta region. In addition, the Minister’s proactive and productive engagement with the communities has endeared him to the leaders and people of the zone, who naturally accord him their trust and respect. It has also helped build a peaceful environment conducive to development.
Also of note is his pursuit of infrastructural development of the region, through which he has executed many clean water, electricity supply, and transportation network projects that have opened up the Niger Delta region to investment, economic growth, and prosperity, and improved the people’s quality of life.
Indeed, judging by his commendable strides just within one year in office, Momoh gives a picture of himself as the leader the people of the Niger Delta region of this country have been waiting for to carry out the comprehensive development of a region that has witnessed series of restiveness arising from long term suffering from hunger, poverty and misery over the years.
