Elder statesman and chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark has made a shocking revelation…

“For some time now, since the creation of the interventionist agencies for the Niger Delta region such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) and the Ministry of Niger Delta, I think there has been a deliberate attempt to shortchange the region.”

“There does not seem to be any significant allocation in the national budget in any of the sectors in the area. In most cases, what is voted for one major infrastructural project in the other regions is far more than the entire budget for one of the interventionist agencies in the Niger Delta.”

“For instance, this year, the total budget for the Niger Delta, including salaries, wages and projects is N33 billion, out of which N6.55 billion is for the completion of the East-West Road. This amount is just about 61 percent of the N54.2 billion allocated to the Lagos State by only one ministry, the Ministry of Works.”

“As a matter of fact, the amount allocated to Lagos State Government by the Federal Ministry of Works is more than that allocated to the South-East and South-South geo-political zones which comprises 11 states which got N52.8 billion. This is worrisome. I am, therefore, recommending that an expert committee, not more than six persons should be set up to examine the present budget before it is passed into law.”

“I’m appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to re-visit some appointments he made earlier because such lopsided appointments are detrimental and unfavourable to the people of Niger Delta as well as in the interest of national unity and peace in the region.”