The Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has warned key actors in the Niger Delta project against playing the blame game as the current administration is making efforts, against all odds, to tackle the challenges facing the region.
Femi Gbajabiamila spoke while declaring open a web conference on Resolving the Host Communities Question, organised by OrderPaper in collaboration with the House and Nigeria Natural Resource Charter.
The discovery of oil in the Niger Delta years back excited many indigenes of the region and indeed the country as a whole as it was expected to bring Nigeria into the era of development.
But today, the Niger Delta, which is Africa’s most important oil producing region, is one of the most polluted places on earth.
To bring development to the oil rich geographical zone, the Niger Delta Development Commission was established some twenty years ago.
After several agitations, the region was also alloted 13 per cent derivation funds to ensure its development and make life more meaningful to its people.
Sadly, the region and its people still battle environmental pollution, abject poverty and utter neglect of the host communities arising from devastating oil spillages.
This webinar is one of the many efforts to reposition the region and achieve a new lease of life for the people.
For Presidential Aide, Ita Enang, Governors in the region are to blame for allegedly diverting the derivation funds accruing to the states.
Other speakers add their voices to the need to salvage the region.
