A former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, yesterday expressed opposition to the clamour in certain quarters that the Ministry of Niger Delta should be transferred to the Presidency. He advised stakeholders and some leaders in the Niger Delta proposing such a move to withdraw it as it was not in the best interest of the Niger Delta. “The Niger Delta does not need such a self-inflicted injury. Even if such people have disagreements Akpabio or any current holder of that office, they should not push for an action that is glaringly inimical to the interest of the region.
“The fact is that the office of the Minister will be occupied by someone from the Niger Delta and it will amount to cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face to demand its transfer to the Presidency. We should not hesitate to point out errors on the part of those who are superintending over the affairs of the NDDC, but it is against Niger Delta interests to move the supervision of the NDDC to any other place other than the Ministry of the Niger Delta.
“The Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs was created for us by a man who meant well for Nigeria and the Niger Delta, the late President Umar Yar’Adua. The establishment of the Ministry and the amnesty programme are two legacies of President Musa Yar’Adua that will continue to serve the national interest,” he said. Senator Dickson also urged all stakeholders in the region to work with the Minister and the NDDC board when constituted to ensure that the collective aspirations of the people for the development of the region was realised
