By Bethel Kingsley
Following Nigerians call on President Bola Tinubu to fulfill his promise to sack underperforming ministers, an organization: BAT’s 4/4 Renewed Hope Agenda, has joined the people of Niger Delta to commend the performance of the Minister of Niger Delta ministry, Engr. Abubakar Momoh whose brief stint in the ministry has hugely transformed both the region and ministry.
Addressing the media, the Director-General, BAT’s 4/4 Renewed Hope Agenda, Engr. Dan Ohiomoba said the region is currently experiencing metamorphosis in all ramifications since the Edo state-born administrator took over at the ministry.
Engr. Ohiomoba said, “The Niger Delta region is currently experiencing a total turnaround in all ramifications with the appointment of Engr. Abubakar Momoh as the new Minister of Niger Delta. Upon his appointment, he has begun the facilitation of developmental projects and programmes capable of bringing sustainable growth in the lives of people of the region.
“Also, he’s presently displaying an exemplary and unprecedented approach by ensuring the completion of ongoing infrastructural projects, community development programmes and taking proactive efforts to addressing ennvironmental concerns in the region. All these, the minister has committed himself to with utmost priority for transparency and accountability, assuring the people of the region that money meant for development of the region and her people would be used judiciously.”
He noted that the Ministry of Niger Delta was formally created on the 10th of September, 2008 by the late former President Umar Musa Yar’adua adding that the main purpose behind the creation was to fast-track infrastructural development, environmental protection and youth empowerment in the oil rich Niger Delta region among other benefits.
“This is due to years of neglect and lack of concern for the plight of the people of the Niger Delta region, a region that produces our main source of foreign exchange earnings.
“It would be recalled that the Niger Delta region was once a centre of violent destruction and vandalisation of public property especially crude oil facilities such as pipelines. It took the intervention of former President Umar Musa Yar’adua through his amnesty programme to bring peace back to the region.
“The amnesty program witnessed tremendous success as many youth who were formally tagged “militants” are now responsible citizens with engagement in different professions and fields, thereby making the region and Nigeria proud. No doubt, the programme was a huge success.”
The Director-General further regretted that since 2008 till date, different ministers have been deployed to the ministry of Niger Delta but little success was achieved. “There have been a continuous and repeated devastating reports of misappropriation, corruption and mismanagement of public fund under the ministry in which many have been indicted.
“So sad that there had been a total and deliberate neglect of the core reason behind the creation of the Niger Delta ministry in term of further improving the lives and living conditions of the people of the region as a region that serves as the heartbeat of the foreign earning of the country.”
Engr. Ohiomoba said he believes having Momoh as the minister of the Niger Delta ministry at this critical period shows the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to his Renewed Hope Agenda. “It validates his resolve to bring most capable, competent and experienced hands into the affairs of his administration.
“Having a prudent and foresighted administrator like Engr. Abubakar Momoh as minister in the Niger Delta ministry signifies a new beginning for the region. His appointment is no doubt a commitment to rid the Niger Delta ministry of corruption which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the ministry.
“Without any iota of skepticism, Engr. Momoh is a round peg that perfectly fits into the round hole of the Niger Delta ministry especially at this time that the glory of the ministry is begging to be restored. He’s a leader with the capacity to squarely address the challenges of human capital development in the region, infrastructural deficit, environmental degradation, pollution of water bodies and atmosphere and inequality in the distribution of resources in the region.
“Above all, the minister is a leader that has all it takes to redefine life in the Niger Delta region and restore the dignity and pride of the Niger Delta people and he has proven this within a short while in charge of the affairs.”
He also noted that the Engr. Abubakar Momoh is one of the few ministers that bought the Renewed Hope vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and has been working hard for its realizations.
