By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—Ministers and top government functionaries from the Niger Delta region, yesterday, converged in Abuja to work out a formula aimed at tackling the security challenges and underdevelopment of the region.

The issues of underdevelopment and restiveness occasioned by years of neglect in the region as well as failures of several measures put in place to address them have become a source of concern to stakeholders.

The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, said, while declaring the meeting open, that strategies and approaches developed during the parley would be forwarded to the Federal Government as guide towards addressing the challenges confronting the region.

Key functionaries of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration at the stakeholders’ meeting included the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, his counterpart in the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelama, Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Prof. Claudius Daramola and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.

Usani Nguru Usani 

Others were Special Adviser to the President on Legislative Matters, Senator Ita Enang, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Belema Wakama, Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Nsima Ekere and Permanent Secretary in the Ministrty of Education, Magdalene Anene-Maidoh.

Addressing journalists  after the meeting, Pastor Usani, noted that their goal was to come up with a result oriented formula that could solve the Niger Delta question.

According to him, “We are worried, we are sleepless at night and so we have decided to be burden bearers. We have vowed to be instruments of solution to our region. We cannot fold our arms and see our region suffer anymore. We want the best for our people.”

While lamenting  that  the region still lacked a development strategy that was consistent in vision and coherent in implementation process despite government efforts, Usani said,  “We understand that their demands vary and we are bent on contributing our quota.

The minister, who insisted that the President Buhari administration was  determined to ensure that  every stakeholder worked together to  end  poverty in  the Niger Delta by promoting investment in physical infrastructure, basic social services and institutional developments, said they would stop at nothing to attain the feat.

He said: “What has become obvious is that previous development planning efforts never addressed the region’s needs due to lapses in implementation, insufficient coordination and the absence of a coherent framework. The essence is that we have found at individual level of consultations and trying to work out a formula to ensure that the region is safe and peaceful. We have taken a decision to create a platform which is inherent in government, which also can take ownership at the community level.”